Return To Eden
by EternalHarmony
Summary: A war is being waged by all muggle-kind and Hermione is saved by a mysterious person who tells her of CLAW and the idea of the wizarding world finally leaving the muggle world behind. She has a new gift and must learn how it can shape two destinies.
1. Escaping Death

Disclaimer: I own jack.  
  
A/N: Yeah, this isn't really PG13 yet, but some language and maybe sexual scenes might come in later when a certain Slytherin appears..... so anyways, I'm just playing it safe at the moment. Hope to have a new chapter up soon! Thanks muchos, and review review review! *Frost*  
  
Hermione screamed as she felt the house around her buckle. This house that she grew up in with her parents, her brothers, and her life was falling.  
  
"What has become of my world?" she screamed into the enveloping darkness that was the downstairs closet. Hermione felt everything. The heat surges slipping hastily through the bottom crack with every explosion; the soft brown mink of mother's winter coat that father had given her for Christmas when she was 6; the fading scent of father's cologne from his jackets hanging above her; she took it all in. These were her last moments here, on earth, this plane of existence. Whatever existence was after death she was prepared for and ready to accept with open arms. She knew Christian muggles believe in heaven and hell, Hindis had reincarnation, and Buddhists had Nirvana, but she never heard anything about an afterlife mentioned in the Wizarding world. Maybe there was nothing. Wizards were more knowledgeable about magic and powerful forces; maybe they knew that there wasn't anything at all so it never came up in conversation.  
  
Hermione felt another shudder sweep through the house. Boards creaked and split, windows shattered, and the roof groaned a few floors above her. The hanging clothing had fallen and now swaddled her with their warmth and softness. She felt herself lingering away. The only thing she sensed was the mixed smell of mother's powdery perfume and father's spiced cologne.  
  
"Horrible, just horrible. Poor thing was on the verge of death. An entire house collapsed around her after it was hit by one of those muggle fire boxes. It's just terrifying the devices they've been using these days, everything made to cause as much fire and death as possible. I never thought I'd say this, but it seems as if those muggle armies are doing as much damage to their world as you-know-who did to ours," a female voice was whispering.  
  
Hermione breathed in and turned her head. She opened her eyes wide and rubbed the sleep out. She looked around yawning but ceased when her eyes fell upon her most dreaded professor. There stood Professor Snape, her creepy potions master, at the side of her bed nodding in agreement to the young brunette nurse who had been the speaker she heard. He gave the nurse a small smile, which in itself chilled Hermione to the bone as she thought of him being capable of niceness.  
  
"It is disgusting, the barbaric ways muggles use in war. I'm just glad the Wizarding World has taken so many precautions to keep it hidden from their flying planes or whatever they are called. The Ministry of Magic has been miraculous in preserving our world and keeping everything as if there wasn't anything outside of its domain," he said thoughtfully as he ran his fingers through his filmy black hair, "Even Professor Dumbledore has added extra security to Hogwarts in case any battles approach school grounds. The staff is very proud the work we've done."  
  
"I think it's great how hard you and the other teachers have worked to ensure the safety of the students and even the creatures in the Forbidden Forest," she said. The nurse giggled slightly, "Wow, I remember how scary it was when I was there. All those creepy yellow eyes that would look at you as you walked near its edge. It was quite exciting to me when I was there a few years ago."  
  
"What year did you graduate?" Snape inquired bringing yet another chilling smile across his thin lips.  
  
"I was in the 1104th Class to graduate from Hogwarts," she said with a grin, "Gryffindor."  
  
"Interesting," Snape commented as he once again slid his hands through his greasy hair. "Maybe you and I could meet up after your shift ends. We could talk about our school days and I'd like to learn more about working at St. Mungo's, it must be fascinating," he added.  
  
Hermione practically shoved the bedcovers into her mouth to keep from laughing. She wakes up in a hospital, and what is the first thing she hears? Her potions master trying to pick up her nurse! It was unbearable. A mix of a giggle and a snort escaped her mouth. Snape's head snapped around and met her eyes. A small look of frustration, almost a glare, was shot right at her head.  
  
"Well, good morning Ms. Granger!" the chipper nurse said. She whipped around Snape and came directly over to her bed. Fluffing Hermione's pillows, the nurse explained that she was in St. Mungo's recovery ward.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to erm.... Interrupt anything," Hermione said innocently as she forced the sly look on her face to disappear.  
  
"No, I'm just glad you're awake sweetie. I'll go fetch a healer and we'll get right to business. Mr. Snape, thank you so much for following up on your student, it's very respectful of you. But if you'd please....." she said as she motioned toward the door, "I have to ask Ms. Granger a few questions."  
  
"Okay, thank you very much Ms. Feddlewich, and uh... maybe I'll see you later?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Oh, well, I'd love to, but I really can't, I'm going to have lots of paperwork to do after I finish with Ms. Granger here's interview, but thank you for the offer," she said with a smile.  
  
Hermione couldn't help but notice that the brunette's fingers were crossed behind her back as she smiled, a small vein popping out on the back of her neck. Hermione smirked.  
  
"Shot down," she thought to herself. Snape nodded and left the room, aggravated footsteps echoing down the hallway.  
  
"Thank Fudge you woke up," the nurse said with a chuckle, "I thought he'd never leave." Hermione laughed and gave the nurse a quick wink.  
  
"My name is Fiona Feddlewich," she said, returning the smile and extending her hand.  
  
"Hermione Granger, pleasure," Hermione responded.  
  
"So, what's going on anyways? The last thing I remember is.... Is..... My closet at home," Hermione improvised quickly, glossing over the many morbid details of her last memory.  
  
"Well, it appears your house was hit by one of those muggle fire... whatchamacallums..."  
  
"Bombs." Hermione finished.  
  
"Yes. Booms," Fiona began, "A few weeks ago Minister Fudge consented to begin forming a new committee called Cooperation for Liberating Abandoned Wizards, or CLAW, to find and rescue Witches and Wizards trapped in the muggle world. Naturally, hundreds of Ministry workers volunteered for CLAW to help save citizens of our world caught in the muggle war."  
  
"What kind of workers do you mean?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, the majority is of pure-blood families. Many "pure-bloods" believe that now anyone possessing magical abilities needs to be brought back into out world. Their goal is that once all the abandoned witches and wizards are safely back in our world, they will seal off its existence from the muggles forever," Fiona replied.  
  
"Forever!" Hermione yelled, a look of shock crossing her face.  
  
"Yes, and the majority support their decision. Muggles have gone to far this time. These boom things can kill millions of their own kind, imagine what they would do if they discovered magic! Muggles have grown too dangerous. They're a risk to themselves and the Magic Community. The time has come for us to seal ourselves off forever," said Fiona passionately.  
  
"But, forever? That's insane! What about all the children now, who are muggle-born, but magical? When they get their powers, who knows what they might do? And it's not fair to deprive them of the education they deserve! I should know! I'm muggle-born," Hermione shouted as tears welled in her eyes, "We can't just pretend that billions of people don't exist!"  
  
Fiona sighed and patted Hermione's hand. She stood up and stood in the doorway.  
  
"I'm sorry Hermione, but if this muggle war continues, those billions of people won't exist for much longer anyways." 


	2. A Dream To Dance To

Disclaimer: I own jack.  
  
A/N I'm just keeping the bloody thing at PG-13 to be safe for future chapters. Things will probably get a little....heated....when a certain character comes into the picture. *Girlish Giggle*  
  
"Well, it looks as if you're as good as new, Ms. Granger," Hermione's Healer said.  
  
"Thank you so much Mr. Grigglenort," Hermione replied with a grin of joy.  
  
She had been cooped up in her hospital room for almost a week now. The dull olive walls had practically become unbearable for her to look at. In muggle hospitals they always had TV to watch, but in the Wizarding World few had ever even seen a television set. So, she had spent all her days lying in bed staring at her ceiling or the overly relaxing shade of green on her walls. There had once been a window in her room, and every other room at that, but Fiona informed her that a few construction conjurers had come in a few days after the bombings had begun and replaced the windows with paintings. Normally this would have been great and Hermione would have had someone to talk to and swap stories with, but alas; her painting was simply dreadful.  
  
Maleficent Mipps was Hermione's image and she was simply unbearable. The first day of Hermione's rehabilitation consisted of Maleficent ranting on about how she lived hundreds of years ago and could have single-handedly prevented every illness to ever infect a witch or wizard.  
  
"I was the best nurse you would have ever had. I always looked after my patients as if they were my own pets. I had the most sterile patients you had ever seen. I changed their bedcovers every hour on the hour, uncontaminated all their clothes and food with my own wand, and made sure there was never a runny nose in the ward," she would harp, her crackly little shrill voice bouncing off the floor and ringing in Hermione's ears. Fiona had to continually bring Hermione new pillows because she was secretly pulling the cotton out of hers to stuff in her ears. Also, Maleficent always had a word of advise for poor Fiona.  
  
"You're not fluffing her pillow right! You're going to give the poor child a hump on her back the size of Fudge's nose the way you're doing it! Fiona, sterilize poor Nene's wounds, she could be developing an infection as we speak," Maleficent would rant on. Nene had been the dreadful pet name Mipps had chosen for Hermione. Luckily, Fiona had noticed Maleficent's dedication to her work and had gotten her assigned as a portrait messenger, delivering messages to other rooms through the paintings, leaving Hermione to herself for a few hours everyday.  
  
But now she was free! Her treatment was over and all her wounds were completely gone. Mr. Grigglenort had even gone so far as to vanish many of Hermione's faded freckles from previous summers. She hadn't been allowed outside during most of her time at home because of bombing raids, leaving her freckles blotchy and half-faded. Her skin was clean and smooth as the finest silk and her hair was much more manageable after hours and hours of endless brushing and combing out of sheer boredom.  
  
Hermione piled the remainder of her things inside her trunk and retrieved a few remaining books scattered around the room.  
  
"Looks much better, I'd say," Maleficent said, "This is a place of healing! The way you had it the room looked as is if a herd of hippogriffs stampeded through Flourish and Blotts!"  
  
"Yes, I'll miss you too Mipps," Hermione said with a smile and she threw on her knapsack. The ward assistant came in and pulled her trunk out into the hall. Hermione sighed.  
  
She was finally going back out into the world. The Wizarding World she had been adopted into and now was her home. She didn't know where she would go though. Maybe she could rent out a room at The Leaky Cauldron until school started in a few weeks. Snape had returned once for her to make a list of her most prized possessions so a member of CLAW could gather them for her. He revisited about two days later with her school trunk stuffed full of the books and supplies that were salvageable and informed her that a muggle relation specialist had successfully transferred all her parents savings into a vault at Gringott's. Also, a few of her personal things had been intact and were tucked neatly at the bottom. Her most favorite thing in the world was rescued, and miraculously not harmed at all.  
  
It was a porcelain statuette along with a letter her mother and father had given her the summer before she started school at Hogwart's. Hermione smiled at the thought of that day. She reached inside her sack and pulled out the velvet case that held the sculpture. Tucked into the corner was the rolled up letter. She slowly pulled it out and unwound the roll.  
  
"Our sweetest Holly,  
  
We want you to always keep this where you can see it. Your father and I don't know much about this magic world of yours, but we want you to keep this piece of our mortal world with you. Understand that no matter where you are and who you're with, mortal or magic, there will always be love. Your father and I love you so much sweetie and we always will. Remember that no matter what happens someone will always love you and someday, you will find your dance partner."  
  
A tear slid down Hermione's cheek as she read the letter.  
  
"Holly," she said with a sniff. She reached up and rubbed the tears out of her eye, blurring her vision. She looked up at the empty hall. All she could make out was the restful green walls and the flutter of a black cape as someone turned down a connecting hall. She looked back down and smelled the paper. It still smelled like her father's spiced cologne and she could make out her mother's elegant cursive as she gently ran her fingers over the writing. Holly was the nickname her family had always used for her. For Christmas her brothers would always make wreaths out of ivy and flowers, but she had always made hers out of holly and little red holly berries. Thus, her nickname was born, although she had never told anyone at Hogwart's about it. The only people who ever called her Holly were her parents and brothers, but now no one would ever call her that again. She was the only one who knew what it meant.  
  
She rolled the paper up and slid it back into the box. Pulling out the porcelain figurines made Hermione's eyes well with tears again, only this time with happiness. It was still intact, and so were her memories. She set the circular crystal base upon the floor and wound the key in the back. When she released it the tiny motor inside turned and the melody began. Time bells chimed in rhythm to the song as the two dancing figurines spun in a circle on the base.  
  
To anyone it might seem a child's toy and simple fun, but to Hermione this was the most beautiful thing she had seen. From her perspective, the figures did not just spin; they waltzed in each other's arms in perfect beat to the music. The dress on the woman was chiseled so intricately it seemed as if the crimson folds of the dress might begin to sway as the tiny feet below stepped in sync with those of her partner's. The man led the dance, swinging his partner to the phrases of the song, but always holding her tightly so she would not slip.  
  
"I will dance like that someday," Hermione thought with bliss. I don't care what world I'm in, I know I will find my partner someday, and we will dance through life together. The music slowly stopped and the waltz ended. Hermione placed the dancers back into the box and cautiously slipped it back into her pack.  
  
She looked down the hall and saw no one. Most of the patients were probably napping after their lunches and the nurses were probably eating. Hermione trotted over to the lounge where the nurses took their breaks and peeked inside the doorway.  
  
"Fiona?" she asked.  
  
"Oh sorry babe," Fiona said, "I was working on some paperwork. You all set?"  
  
"Yep, the aid already took my bag," Hermione said with a grin, "Wait, where am I going anyways? Is a car just going to drop me off? If so, just send me to Diagon Alley and I'll rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron till school begins, then I'll be set."  
  
Fiona laughed, "No sweetie, we wouldn't abandon you like that. We look out for our own. I'm sorry no one has told you yet, but we do get a little backed up around here."  
  
"I understand, you've got a lot on your plate," Hermione replied, gesturing to the pile of files and papers on the coffee table Fiona was stationed at.  
  
"Yep, quite tedious, but it is all vital in the end," Fiona said as she ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
"So where exactly am I going?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, the member of CLAW that found and brought you volunteered his home. He's a youth member, but he got his dad to say it was all right. You can stay with him until term starts," Fiona answered.  
  
"Fabulous!" Hermione exclaimed, "I can't believe I get to finally meet this rescuer of mine. I've wanted to tell him how thankful I am for a while and I'd love to learn more about CLAW."  
  
"Yes, it's a great organization and I'm glad they are so good at what they do. They've almost saved every wizard and witch abandoned in the muggle world in just these past few months. Once they're finished, we can finally seal off our world," Fiona said happily.  
  
"Yeah, seal it," Hermione said softly. She didn't know how to feel about this great divide Fiona always talked about. Whenever she read The Daily Prophet there was always an update about how wonderful CLAW was and how close they were to achieving their goal. But Hermione didn't want to think about that now.  
  
"Well, that's very nice of him to open his home to me," Hermione said politely.  
  
"Yep, well, I hope you have a great summer and a great year at Hogwart's. Next time you're missing a limb a curse backfires come and see me!" Fiona said with a smile.  
  
"I certainly will!" Hermione said laughing. Fiona turned and walked Hermione to the elevator. Pressing the seek button the doors opened.  
  
"He's waiting for you in the lobby I believe," Fiona said.  
  
"Oh! What does he look like? I should know whom to look for," Hermione exclaimed as she stepped into the elevator.  
  
"Well, he's about 5'11, blue eyes, probably wearing a black robe that'll have a CLAW emblem on it. He's got blonde hair and hoop in his left cartilage," Fiona said as the doors started shutting. Hermione had a smile on her face as she waved goodbye to Fiona.  
  
"Oh! And his name is Draco, Draco Malfoy!" Fiona yelled just as the doors shut.  
  
The smile on Hermione's face completely disappeared. 


	3. Meet the Parents

Disclaimer: I own jack.  
  
A/N: Thanks to all my lil reviewers! You guys are super-cool. I hope to have a new chapter up in a couple days. And yes, Draco is finally in this chapter! Sorry to keep you guys waiting, but does not absence make the heart grow fonder? :)  
  
"Oh no oh no oh no oh on oh NO!" Hermione whispered as the elevator descended to the lobby of St. Mungo's.  
  
"This is horrible!" she screamed in her mind, "How could this happen? What am I going to do?!"  
  
Hermione quickly tucked her hair behind her ears and pressed her clothes, trying to destroy their sloppy wrinkles. She tried to collect her composure and eliminate the shock and fear from her eyes. The elevator panel beeped and the doors opened as the elevator reached the lobby.  
  
"Here we go," Hermione whispered. She readjusted the pack on her back and took a step out into the lobby. "Calm, stay calm, be calm," she mumbled as she glanced around terrified, looking for the familiar greased back and slick Slytherin who lived to make her want to die. "Well, where the hell is he?" she said out loud. A prim hospital teery (teery: a witch similar to a nun) scoffed and glared at her as she overheard Hermione's outburst. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to keep searching, but she still couldn't see the skinny little ferret anywhere.  
  
"Feeling better?" a smooth tenor voice asked behind her. Hermione reeled around to meet the speaker.  
  
"Do I know you?" Hermione asked skeptically as she glanced the young man up and down. "Are you Draco Malfoy's cousin or something?" she asked. He did look a lot like the annoying kid she remembered from school the year before. He had the same white blonde hair only it wasn't slicked back. It was longer, wavy, and fell loosely past his chin and almost touched his shoulders. He also had the same icy grey eyes and characteristic smirk permanently attached to his lips. He wore a black long sleeve t-shirt with a wide neckline, showing off muscular shoulders and neck, promising a well toned body where the shirt covered. A black fur cloak was draped casually over one of his shoulders. Hermione glanced back up and her eyes fell into his. He took a step toward her and picked up her pack where she had laid it by her feet. He threw it over his shoulder and leaned his face into hers.  
  
"Come now Granger, don't you even recognize me?" He whispered. Hermione scoffed as she realized this was her mysterious rescuer, finally seen and revealed. He wasn't what she had expected though. When Fiona told her it was Draco she figured it would be the same ferret boy she knew from school. It seemed though, that fighting with CLAW and finally hitting his growth spurt over the summer had favored him.  
  
"He's quite nice to look at," Hermione thought. Hermione scoffed at herself and forced this thought into the back of her, "This is Malfoy! He's been nasty to me from the moment we met."  
  
"Where's the car?" Hermione asked taking a step back and glaring at him.  
  
"Car? Wizards don't use filthy muggle cars, not civilized ones anyways," he said with a jeering laugh, "My dear Hermione, you will never have to ride in one of those terrible muggle inventions again as long as I and the rest of CLAW continue our duty." He gave her a smile, which seemed a bit rusty, as he turned and put his arm around her and led her toward the opposite side of the lobby.  
  
Hermione gritted her teeth as she tried to contain her rage. "How dare he come in here and treat me like I'm some old friend," she thought, clenching her fists. She stopped and shook his arm off her.  
  
"I want you to tell me about this CLAW organization and the "Return to Eden" campaign everyone is always going on about," Hermione ordered sternly. He let out a laugh, obviously entertained. "I'm not joking Draco, I want to know and I want you to stop treating me like we're friends because we're not," she said sharply.  
  
He stared at her, letting no emotion cross his face. He reached his arm out to her, but she only took another step away.  
  
"Don't touch me," Hermione barked, "I don't need you to be my keeper. I'll find my own place to stay."  
  
He let out an annoyed sigh, which distracted Hermione. Before she knew it Draco had lunged at her and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides and preventing her from escaping. To Hermione though, this was not aggressive. Draco held her gently, but securely in his grasp and enveloped her with his warmth.  
  
He tilted his head down and whispered in her ear, "Listen, I will tell you everything you want to know in good time, but this is not the place and time to make a scene, so just calm down. History can't change itself, but I am sorry for the way I've treated you. Now you've been through a lot and need to get out of this hospital, so please just relax and come with me." He turned and looked into her eyes and placed his hand over hers. "I promise everything will be okay." He released her and took a step back. Hermione just stood there, as if hit by a stunning charm. Draco untied his cloak and fastened it around her shoulders. "Here," he said, "You're cold as ice. Now, lets go."  
  
Hermione took a step forward and Draco once again placed his arm around her shoulder and led her to the Floo network. They stood in line for a couple of minutes until they reached the front. Draco dropped a couple sickles into the goblin guard's jar as they went to the nearest open hearth. He took a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the flames.  
  
"Malfoy Manor," he said firmly. "What?" he asked as he realized Hermione was smiling.  
  
"You called me Hermione," she responded, staring into the bright green flames.  
  
"Yes, and you called me Draco," he replied, "It seems as if times have changed."  
  
"Or hell has frozen over," Hermione added as she leapt into the fire.  
  
"Or maybe we've both changed for the better," he said to himself as he followed into the flames.  
  
When the flames began to die, Hermione found herself standing next to Draco in a black marble fireplace.  
  
"Come on then," he said, urging her out of the hearth. She lightly stepped out and took a look around. She stood at the base of a master staircase made of the same black marble. Her reflection blinked back at her from the gleaming floors. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor," Draco's voice said, echoing off the stone rafters at least ten stories above. The staircase had dual steps forming a semi-circle, and then uniting to go directly up to the next level. Glancing up in awe, Hermione saw that a massive chandelier made of gold hung over the center of the great hallway. Gold serpents studded completely with jewels wound around the chandelier, mouths open to attack, revealing actual fangs. Directly below the chandelier was a colossal emblem, obviously the Malfoy family seal. It was pure gold, melted into the marble, forming the outline of two vipers intertwined and looking up to the constellation Scorpio where each star was an enormous glowing diamond.  
  
"It's quite breathtaking, I know," Draco said as he came and stood next to Hermione.  
  
"Breathtaking wasn't the word I was picturing," said Hermione.  
  
"What then?" he asked, turning and looking at her.  
  
"This hall looks as if its purpose is to impress, but mostly intimidate and scare," Hermione replied.  
  
Draco chuckled, "Yes, that is one purpose of it. The fangs of the serpents are made of actual basilisk fangs my ancestor Lucifer the Bloody gathered when he single-wandedly brought an enemy basilisk down in the Fifth Dragon War of the Black Era."  
  
"The Black Era?" Hermione asked, "That was five thousand years ago."  
  
"Well, the Malfoy's have been around for quite some time. Lucifer the Bloody is considered the first Malfoy and founded our family tree," Draco said with a proud smile.  
  
Hermione nodded, then asked, "And what about the Scorpio? What's that for?"  
  
"Oh, that's our family's guardian sign. It's kind of a pre-destiny thing. Every Malfoy is born during Scorpio's reign in autumn," Draco said, "Enough of the history lesson though, let's go."  
  
Draco took Hermione's arm and led her to a lone rug lying at the foot of the fireplace they had entered from. Standing on it, Hermione gave Draco a sarcastic look as if to say "Well, what now?" He responded by firmly saying "Dining Hall" and returning her a look that said, "Watch and see, Smartass." Before Hermione could question, the rug began to hover, then shot straight up a few stories. Hermione screeched as it came to a halt, then immediately shot down a stone corridor rounding corners without slowing down. They came to a stop a little less than a minute later in front of a pair of large wooden doors engraved with silver and iron fastenings. Hermione realized she was gasping for air and inhaled.  
  
Draco turned to her and smirked. "It's okay, you can let go of me now," he said mockingly. Hermione looked down and realized she had clutched onto his robes and was grasping the fabric for dear life.  
  
"Oh, right, sorry," she said slightly blushing. He just simpered again and stepped of the rug now resting harmlessly on the floor.  
  
"Ready to eat?" he asked her.  
  
"Sure, I guess," she replied glancing around. He strode toward the door with Hermione closely following. As he neared the doors they swung open gracefully and allowed the pair to enter before quietly shutting again. The iron locks clicked behind them as they walked into the dining hall.  
  
The dining hall was yet another magnificent display of wealth and coercion. Stone floors and walls were filled with eerie shadows from the torches flickering in the air currents. Large iron chandeliers hung every few feet with several candles lit and waving back and forth. Huge tapestries of battle scenes with Malfoy's throughout history hung from the rafters. One large banner displaying the family seal hung above the head chair of the table. The table was stone, but an immense tablecloth made of which appeared to be Dragonskin covered the entire length of the table and hung almost to the floor. The table could hold seemingly a hundred people along its entire length, but only housed two at the moment. Draco approached the two figures at the far end and Hermione followed, continuing to glace around in awe and suspicion.  
  
On reaching the end, it was obvious who the two figures were, Draco's parents. His father sat at the head of the table in a large chair with emeralds and black pearls implanted into the wood. The arms of the chair seemed slightly mobile, as if they could reach out and grab food right off the plates. The legs were clawed at the feet and one actually seemed to be tapping a toe. Hermione had only seen something like this once ever before. That chair was made from the wood of a whomping willow like the one Rom and Harry had damaged five years ago at Hogwart's. Lucius Malfoy set his fork down and stood up to greet his son. He wore black robes similar to Draco's only more flowing and all trimmed with fur.  
  
"Seems a little girly," Hermione thought. Draco's mother stood as well, her forest green gown swishing softly with her movements. A large emerald necklace ornamented her neck where the less than modest neckline dipped down.  
  
"I'm glad to see you are finally home son," Lucius said with a monotone.  
  
Draco gave a small bow and said, "I'm glad to be home father."  
  
"I see you have brought the young lady you saved a few weeks ago," Lucius said.  
  
"Yes father, you gave consent for her to stay with us until school begins again. What with her being a refugee, she had nowhere else to go," Draco said. Hermione's anger began to grow.  
  
"I hate it when people speak as if I'm not even here..." she thought.  
  
She looked up and saw that Lucius had left his seat and drew near to Hermione. He put his arms on her shoulders and gave a cold smile. "Well, my dear, you are safe now from your barbaric forerunners. I promise that you will never have to risk entering that disgusting world of theirs again. You are with your own kind now, and safe," Lucius said with a tone as if she had been in a concentration camp.  
  
A look of disgust overwhelmed Hermione's face as she said with extreme control, "You do know I am muggle born?"  
  
"Yes yes child, I have been informed of your family history. I know very well you are the result of non-magic muggles," Lucius answered casually as he picked a piece of lint off her sleeve.  
  
"And you're...okay with that knowledge?" Hermione pushed.  
  
"At one point, I would not have been, but times have changed," Lucius said. He traced a finger along the CLAW emblem sewn onto his robes and said, "Many personal standards have changed because of recent events. My son and I now care about preserving our world and finally removing the muggle threat from above our heads. Over time then, there won't be any worry about what type of blood goes into Hogwart's and becomes certified for magic because it will all be from magic parents. So even though you do not have the best heritage in my standards, you are a permanent member of this society, and my son and I have sworn to protect that, mudblood or no."  
  
"How considerate of you," Hermione said sharply through clenched teeth.  
  
Hermione cringed at that word, mudblood; it had eluded her for months and it stung her to finally hear it. It meant she had really returned to the magic world, where she, in some eyes, was an unworthy citizen simply because of her blood. Lucius gazed at her confused, as if he had said nothing wrong at all, but did see where it hurt her.  
  
"I apologize, I will no longer use that term in your presence," he said, then smiled, "We are all adjusting after all. I just want you to know you are welcome in my home."  
  
Hermione wanted to yell and scream and cry right there. She wanted to tell him just where he could shove this "Return the Eden" campaign and throw his invitation for a perfect future right into a pile of dragon dung. She wanted to cut herself and let her tainted blood stain his robes and ask if it looked dirty to him. Draco nudged Hermione and brought her back into reality.  
  
She looked right into Lucius' eyes and said quietly, "I thank you for your hospitality." With that Lucius seemed satisfied. He returned to his chair and began to complete his dinner. Draco's mother also repositioned herself in her seat.  
  
"Please, you two, sit and eat, I'm sure you're both famished," she said softly, smoothing the fabric of her gown and retrieving her fork.  
  
Hermione couldn't stand to stay in that hall for another instant, not with that man who felt as if her were her savior because he was taking in a poor, lost, mudblood soul.  
  
"I will not let him pity me, there is nothing about my life I regret and if anyone should be pitied it should be him, with his nose all stuck in the clouds and his quest for self-righteousness with this CLAW organization," Hermione screamed in her head.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry," Hermione said bitter sweetly, "But I feel very weak. I don't think I could really handle a meal at this time."  
  
Lucius redirected his eyes from his plate to Hermione.  
  
"Poor thing, you've been through so much, you must be exhausted, I'm sure," Draco's mother said, giving Hermione a sympathetic gaze. Hermione nodded, anything to get her out of here.  
  
"Draco, please take the lady to her room and help her get settled in, she needs a good night's rest and tomorrow we can see if you're feeling any stronger," Lucius said as he took a draught of wine from his goblet.  
  
"Yes father," Draco answered with an obedient bow. "Come on," he whispered to Hermione, beckoning for them to depart. They left the room silently and the locks clicked behind them once again as they left. Hermione let out an extremely happy sigh when their presence was gone. "They were like dementor's, those two, drain the happiness right out of you," Hermione thought to herself. Hermione snapped back into reality again and turned to Draco.  
  
"I'm sorry, you're not angry for me wanting to leave are you?" she asked gently.  
  
Draco smirked, "Actually, I didn't really want to be in there either. They can drain the life right out of you."  
  
"That's what I thought too," Hermione agreed.  
  
"Come on," Draco said, pulling Hermione onto the rug, "I'll take you to your room. I picked it out myself." Hermione groaned. She didn't really like these magic carpets and remorsefully let it lift off the ground.  
  
Anywhere, just as long as it has a bed," Hermione said as she yawned. Unknowingly, she clutched securely onto Draco's robes.  
  
Draco smiled at this and whispered in her ear, "I know you are just going to love the room I picked out."  
  
"What?" Hermione asked curiously.  
  
Draco smirked, "You'll see..." 


	4. Another Question With No Answer

Disclaimer: I own jack.  
  
A/N Huzzah! another chapter up, and I feel on a roll so chapter five might be up soon! Happy Christmas all!  
  
"Here we are," Draco said as the carpet came to rest outside of a large portrait of a proper looking witch who was busy looking through a telescope and scribbling measurements on a sheet of parchment. "Over here!" Draco ordered. The witch dropped her quill and looked up surprised.  
  
"Terribly sorry Master Draco sir," she said as she attempted to get the many scattered papers and charts into order.  
  
"Right, right," he responded waving his hand. "Parchus Nilus," he said firmly.  
  
Upon the password incantation, the painting swung open to reveal an open doorway into Hermione's chambers.  
  
"I had no idea that all castles had portrait entrances," Hermione said as they entered.  
  
"Just the older ones," Draco replied, "It's more of an older custom. When castles such as ours were built thousands of years ago there were many reasons to have all your doors hidden."  
  
"And I'm sure there are still many reasons today as well," Hermione said softly. Draco turned to her and frowned.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.  
  
"Well, I just figured, with some of the business your father conducts, well, wouldn't you want it behind hidden doors?" Hermione asked defensively.  
  
Draco stared at her with no facial expression. "Whatever business my father conducts, it has nothing to do with you or me, what he wants done out of sight is his right."  
  
"Out of sight, out of mind," Hermione snapped.  
  
"Enough!" Draco yelled. His voice resonated off the stone corridor and echoed down the hall. Hermione gaped at him in surprise, but quickly regathered herself and placed a proud look across her face.  
  
"No pureblood supremacist will find sympathy in my eyes," she thought passionately as she pictured Lucius. She looked back at Draco and saw the emotion in his eyes turn from frustration to reassurance.  
  
"Listen, Hermione," he began, placing her hands in his, "What my father does is his business and is none of our concern, he'll do it either way, you just have to learn to live with it. We should just be happy now that he has finally dedicated himself to something that will ultimately benefit wizardkind in the end." He gave her a deep look of honesty. "He's changed Hermione...and so have I. The Malfoy's may not be the most accepting family, but we have learned that accepting mudb... muggle borns is a way of life for the time being and in time, not a factor at all. It's all for the greater good."  
  
"Greater good, what is this greater good everyone always goes on about, but has never been explained to me!?" Hermione yelled in aggravation. Draco sighed, and then gave her a small smile. He even let a small chuckle escape from his lips. "What?" Hermione pleaded, almost angry.  
  
"Your mouth, when you get angry you bite your upper lip over your lower lip, you looked like a fish," he said grinning.  
  
"Well, I wasn't going to mention it, but your nostrils flared when you were angry," Hermione huffed back. Draco's smile changed to a smirk as he led the way into her chambers.  
  
"I promise all your questions will be answered, but for now you just need to settle in and get some rest," Draco said as they entered the well-lit room.  
  
Hermione gasped. "Oh my God! Look at this!" she squealed in glee. She whirred around and took in every corner of the circular room. Every wall was filled with shelves upon shelves of books. "Oh my God!" she squealed again.  
  
"Yeah, I thought you'd like it," Draco said smiling as she ran to the nearest shelf and began reading the titles.  
  
"Some of these books are older than the ones even in the Hogwart's library! I bet some of them even date back to before the Ministry was established!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I promise you many of them do, my ancestors left all their books into the many libraries of the Manor. There are probably scrolls and notes from before the Golden Age began, right when magic began to be harnessed," Draco said calmly.  
  
Hermione turned to him astonished and overjoyed, "MANY libraries? You mean there are more?"  
  
"Yeah, several more. We have one on each floor, and probably a few unused storerooms full of unread ones too," He said nodding. Hermione's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her skull.  
  
Draco didn't let her open any of the books; however, and began to lead her into the adjoining room. Hermione had an urge to push him away and begin to leaf through every book, until every page was memorized and known by her, she had to read them all! But, alas, she did not fight and Draco led her away from the aromatic musty scent of the library into a den. A large feather canopy bed was set against the center of the far wall, with a large roaring fire in the hearth in front of it. Hermione couldn't help but feel the siren call of the toasty down comforter and warm fur throws.  
  
Draco slipped his hand off her shoulder and bent down to her ear. "I'll see you when you are fully rested," he said softly. With that said, he turned and left the room. Hermione heard his footsteps down the short stone entrance and then felt the soft breeze as the painting closed. She sighed happily and ran her fingers through her tumbling hair; only so many bobby pins can hold her lengthy hair for so long. She was so exhausted she did not even bother to go through her bags for a nightgown. She simply slipped her jeans and sweater off and tumbled into the snuggly folds of her bed. The velvet curtains of the canopy swayed gently back and forth as the fire cracked comfortably and Hermione drifted off into sleep.  
  
Hermione let out a huge yawn as she awoke again.  
  
"What time is it? I feel like I've slept for hours and hours, but it's still pitch black outside," Hermione thought as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes, "Oh well, at least I can sleep peacefully without the sound of falling bombs screaming through the air." She rolled over and closed her eyes. She exhaled deeply and inhaled the scent of the pillows. They smelled clean, with a small odor of the cedar wood that was still burning in the fireplace. The fire had died long ago, but a servant must have come in and added more logs. At the moment, the wood was almost gone and just the glowing embers were left. Hermione fell asleep once again.  
  
She awoke again after what seemed like a few hours later. The room was still dark and silent.  
  
"Okay, this is strange. Why is it still dark? I'm just going to get up and go take a look around in the hallways," Hermione thought. She pushed back the covers and felt around for the hanging curtains. She found them and pulled the apart, revealing the dimly lit room. Hermione stepped down and walked over to her bag. The floor was covered with a thick furry carpet that helped keep the heat in the wonderfully cozy room. She reached into her bag and took out a pair of slippers she had bought in the gift shop at St. Mungo's a few weeks earlier. She reached out and picked up a candlestick. She looked around for a match to light it with, but as soon as she picked it up, all seven candles lit magically by themselves. Hermione smiled at this. Sometimes the conveniences of the wizard world were ten times better than those of the muggle world.  
  
She turned and headed through the library. Hermione resisted the extreme urge to snatch the nearest book and headed down the stone hallway to the portrait. It swung open as she neared it and stepped out into the vacant corridor.  
  
"Have a good sleep miss?" the astronomy witch asked her as she glanced around the echoic rock hall.  
  
"Oh, fine thanks," Hermione said with a small nod, "Is there anyway I could change the password? I'd like something a little easier to remember than a Latin phrase."  
  
"Oh, of course, but you must make sure the Masters are informed, it is their castle after all," the astronomy witch replied.  
  
"Okay, I'll make sure they're told," Hermione said honestly.  
  
"Well, what password do you choose?" the painting's occupant asked, "But dear, you must respect the Malfoy's beliefs, they do prefer to have traditional sounding passwords for all their paintings. It kinda goes with the whole setting of the Manor."  
  
"All right then, how about..." Hermione began, "Can't be cinnamon sticks like I wanted. Oh, make it Georgio Armani." Hermione smiled at this. No one here would even know what that meant and every time someone would say it it would make her smile.  
  
"Sure, sounds great, what does that mean anyway? Is it some incantation?" the witch asked.  
  
"Let's just say it's a very distinguished phrase," Hermione said knowingly.  
  
"As you wish madam," the astronomy witch said as she looked back down at her scattered parchments full of measurements. Hermione turned and took a few steps down the hallway. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. The dank damp corridors were much colder and less inviting than the snuggly warmth of her rooms.  
  
"I wonder how you find anyone in this place, it's just so... vast," Hermione said, her voice resonating off the walls."  
  
"You develop a way of sensing people after awhile," a soothing soprano voice said behind her. Hermione whipped around to see the speaker. It was Draco's mother.  
  
"Oh, Mrs. Malfoy, I was just, I was," Hermione stuttered as she realized she didn't even know where she was going and it wasn't very polite to go wandering around someone else's castle.  
  
"Please love, call my Persephone," she said as she came and stood next to Hermione. "Are you feeling any stronger after your rest?" she asked courteously.  
  
"Yes mam," Hermione answered as they began to walk down the hallway. Hermione just let Persephone lead the way, she knew her way much better than Hermione.  
  
"I'm sure, you've slept for quite a long time," she said indifferently.  
  
"Do you know the time?" Hermione asked, trying to sound as civil as possible.  
  
"Well, dinner was finished a few hours ago, so I'd assume it's probably about 10:30 or so," Persephone said silkily.  
  
"Oh my goodness, I can't believe I slept all through the day," Hermione said, shocked.  
  
"The day? My dear, you've been asleep for a little over three days," Persephone said with an enchanting smile. Hermione just stared in astonishment. "Love, I'm glad you have come here, I believe that if you'd stayed in that hospital, you'd have collapsed by now."  
  
"You used to be a nurse didn't you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, I did actually, at a small private recovery hospital. I was a nurse for those who had severe flesh wounds from spell damage. But what made you think I used to be in the medical field?" Persephone asked, looking inquisitively into Hermione's eyes.  
  
"I don't know, I just get vibes from people," Hermione said softly, "Have you ever felt that you can read people? See what they do, what their family is like, how they feel at that time, stuff like that."  
  
"No, I've never really felt that," Persephone said. She placed a hand on Hermione's cheek and said, "But we all have our unique gifts don't we?" She smiled and stopped at a painting of two warriors roasting a flying boar on a spit.  
  
The two oil painted men turned and looked at the two women. "Hola, Señora Malfoy," one fighter said as the other gave a small subservient nod.  
  
Persephone nodded back and said, "Omnivorus Entruce." The painting did not swing, but floated off the wall and up toward the ceiling to reveal a square white marble entrance. Hermione followed Draco's mother into the room, and realized it was something like a small restaurant. A few low to the ground tables were littered neatly around the room with large cushy poufs and pillows surrounding them. A black square was at the center of each one, as well as a red hawk quill.  
  
"Oh Blitzen, you're here," Persephone said merrily as they both realized Draco was seated at one of the tables against the far wall.  
  
"Hello mother," Draco said as he sifted his fork through his small plate of rice pudding.  
  
"Hermione, this is the 'nibble room' as it's come to be called," Persephone said with a small laugh, "You can come here anytime you wish to get a snack, and order as much as you want. I'm sure you're famished after not eating for so long. Draco, I'll trust you to show Hermione around when you're finished. I'm going to bed now though, and remember, you're portkey is at 9 am sharp tomorrow, make sure you both are ready."  
  
"Of course mother, thank you," Draco said politely as Hermione came and sat by him.  
  
Persephone turned to leave the room, but turned and added just as she left and said, "Draco, you never told your father and I that your friend was an empath." She left the room and the portrait returned to its spot over the doorway. A tapestry of a great feast fell over the opening to conceal the back of the painting.  
  
"Awake I see," Draco said as he ate a bite of his pudding.  
  
"Empath, what on earth is an empath?" Hermione asked.  
  
Draco smirked and said, "Well, apparently you are."  
  
Hermione glared at him and said sternly, "Well, explain it to me already."  
  
Draco cocked his head to the side, enjoying her annoyance and said, "Well, it seems there's a lot I've got to explain to you. Order some food, we could be here all night."  
  
Hermione glowered at him. 


	5. Unwanted Answers

Disclaimer: I own jack!  
  
A/N Yep, I really got into it this time. This is really long, and I enjoyed writing every word! I'm glad everything is finally outlined. Happy New Year all! Please don't drink and drive. As a matter of fact, just don't drink at all. You'll just make a jackass out of yourself. Stay home, read my fanfic again. :) And thanks to everyone who's reviewed! You guys rock and make my day! *Cyber kisses for everyone*  
  
"How am I supposed to get food?" Hermione asked as Draco finished his pudding.  
  
"Like this," Draco replied. He picked up the red hawk quill and wrote on the black slate, "chocolate covered cherries." The writing then began to swirl around and sparkle off the slate and turned into a bowl of chocolate covered cherries. "It's easy, I'm sure even you could use it," he said sarcastically as he took his cherries. "Order a meal, you look awful," he said as he bit off one of the cherries and smirked at her.  
  
Hermione glared at his comment and replied, "Good to see your returning to normal."  
  
"What's that mean? What's normal?" Draco said as he sucked the chocolate off the cherry.  
  
"Normal for you... a jackass," Hermione said as she picked up the quill.  
  
"What sounds good?" Hermione asked herself mentally, "About everything at this point, I'm so hungry I'd probably eat that cherry Draco has in his mouth right now."  
  
"Uch, sick," Hermione said aloud.  
  
"What's that?" Draco said looking up momentarily.  
  
"Nothing, just a bad thought," Hermione said as she carefully wrote, "Sirloin steak, Medium rare, roasted potatoes, grilled fish, 3 green bean bundles, fried sweet potatoes, side salad, Italian dressing." When she set the quill back in its inkwell, the words began to swirl and glitter again, but for a little while longer this time.  
  
"That'll take forever, that much food," Draco said smartly as he placed another cherry stem beside his bowl.  
  
"It's worth the wait," Hermione said with an eager grin. The food appeared after a minute of two, and Hermione quickly put the plates in front of her and dove into her meal. "Oh, crap," Hermione said as she picked the quill back up and wrote, "Diet Coke." It appeared quickly and she took a sip. She looked up when she heard hearty chuckles coming from Draco's side.  
  
"What, may I ask is so funny?" She said haughtily.  
  
"Watching your weight there Granger? I'm sure drinking a DIET coke will do a lot of good after you finish enough food to feed a dragon for three days," Draco said laughing.  
  
"Ha ha, well, I could eat a whole dragon thank you, I've not eaten in four days after all," Hermione said as she cut her steak looking at the red juices run out. She glanced up and saw Draco looking disgustedly at the steak. "Problem?" she asked as she stabbed a potato and put it in her mouth. "What's the matter, pureblood steak not good enough for me?" she asked harshly.  
  
"No," he said giving her a cool look, "I'm a vegetarian." Hermione was surprised at this and attempted to hide the look of astonishment on her face, but failed miserably. Draco looked down at the table and said, "After you see so much burning flesh, it gets hard swallow anything similar. Brings back bad memories, you know?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I had no idea," Hermione apologized softly as she scraped the meat off her plate into the garbage can. It disappeared immediately.  
  
"Thanks. It's really no big deal," Draco said as he ripped a cherry stem into tiny pieces. Hermione stopped eating and looked at him. His eyes looked into hers, but she could tell he was a thousand miles away, reliving some memory.  
  
"Draco," Hermione began, "when you say 'burning flesh' you mean human flesh, don't you?"  
  
"I don't think that it's any of your business," he snapped.  
  
"Well, like you said, your father is going to do it whether we know about it or not," Hermione said defensively, "It's okay, I'm not going to repeat it."  
  
"Right," he said, "you'll run right off and tell the Wonder Twins."  
  
"No," Hermione said honestly, with pure sincerity in her eyes. She looked at Draco and could tell he was fighting to hold back pain and fear and tears he had never been allowed to show to anyone, not even himself. "I'm not that kind of person. Draco, if you bottle things up inside it's only going to poison you. Telling someone helps to share the load."  
  
"Right, and you're just the person for me to tell," He said cruelly.  
  
"Excuse me, I was just trying to help. Not like there's anything I could do about any of it, but sometimes it's nice to know that someone else knows. It must be hard having no one," Hermione replied indifferently.  
  
"What do you mean, no one?" Draco said defensively.  
  
"Who would you tell? Not your father or mother, that'd be stupid. Not Crabbe and Goyle, they probably wouldn't understand what you said, and Snape's always the wild card," Hermione said, grinning as she thought back to Snape's attempt at Fiona. "Way out of your league Severus," Hermione thought.  
  
"What you smiling at?" Draco asked, looking heated.  
  
"Oh, not you. I was thinking back to the hospital, Snape came and visited me, and when I woke up I heard him hitting on my nurse," Hermione said grinning as the scene replayed in her head.  
  
"You're kidding!" Draco exclaimed with a large smile, "He tried to pick up your nurse?"  
  
"Yep," Hermione said gleefully as she finished her sweet potatoes.  
  
"What is it about nurses I wonder..." Draco asked himself.  
  
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, starting on her salad, sipping her diet coke.  
  
"Well, my mum used to be a nurse, that's how my parents met. My father was a patient at their private hospital. When he was healed, he insisted on taking her out to dinner and the rest is history," Draco explained. Hermione shivered and thought, "How creepy, Draco's parents on a date."  
  
She smiled and said, "Well, I guess if that's the way to get a fellow, nursing just might be the profession for me!"  
  
Draco chuckled and ate another cherry, "Right, head girl, top of our class, offered any job at the Ministry, and she chooses... Nursing. You can do better than that, besides, you can get any 'fellow' you want, you just have to know how to push the right buttons."  
  
Hermione laughed, "Yes, because I've had soooo many fabulous boyfriends."  
  
"Well, what about Krum?" Draco asked.  
  
"Too clingy, wanted me to transfer just so we could be closer, he was leaving anyways!" Hermione replied as she placed her empty plates on the slate. They disappeared and she picked up the quill to order dessert.  
  
"Finnegan?" Draco tried.  
  
"Too touchy feely, bastard wanted sex the third date!" Hermione said, shooting down Draco's second attempt.  
  
"The Weasel, you two dated for a few months last year I recall," Draco tried again.  
  
"Too boring, only ever talked about Quidditch and insisted Harry come with us on most of our dates," Hermione said, victorious again.  
  
"Ginny Weasley?" Draco said with a devilish smirk.  
  
"Just a rumor, I don't swing that way, she and Cho's lil sis are very happy together," Hermione said with an angelic "I win" look.  
  
"Hmm..." Draco said.  
  
"My turn," Hermione said, "Pansy?"  
  
"Please, she's a slut, banged Crabbe just to trade seats with him in Astronomy so she could sit with me," Draco said knowingly.  
  
"Cho?" Hermione tried again.  
  
"Just looking for a bad boy, turns out I wasn't what she expected," Draco said, winning.  
  
"Those twins from Hufflepuff," Hermione questioned.  
  
Draco grinned, "Too much of a good thing, besides, having one girlfriend is hard enough, try having two! Twice as many gifts to buy and they always talked about what I did with the other, then they'd get jealous because I spent more time with one, or didn't walk one to class, too bloody confusing for me that's sure."  
  
"Okay, lil too much info there," Hermione said as her dessert appeared; several pieces of broken up chocolate and a large scoop of peanut butter. Her eyes grew big with childish delight as she set it in front of her. "Yep, really glad I went for the diet," she said shooting Draco a happy smirk.  
  
"My analysis, Mr. Malfoy: you fear commitment," Hermione said.  
  
"And my analysis: Ms. Granger, you are too friggin picky," Draco responded with a grin.  
  
"Now," she began, taking a hunk of chocolate, dipping it in peanut butter and popping it in her mouth, "I want you to tell me about CLAW."  
  
"Oh, right, CLAW," He said absentmindedly, staring at her dessert. Hermione groaned and switched pillows. She sat on the one right next to Draco, who willingly aided her in eating her dessert. "CLAW," he said, his voice muffled with peanut butter, "Is the organization started by the Governors. It was proposed by my father and the other men agreed with a unanimous vote, with no threatening whatsoever." Draco gave a Hermione "I know what you were thinking and it's wrong" look as he said this. Hermione stayed silent and ate another piece of chocolate, licking the peanut butter off her finger. "Anyways, once it was approved by Fudge, my father was placed at the head of the organization. He drafted all the members he needed; clerks to monitor the muggle war and find out info about muggle weapons and their effects; some werewolves to track witches and wizards abandoned in the muggle world; rescuers, like me, to go and save the ones stranded, and especially; the spell writers, to write the final spell that will seal our world and end the campaign," Draco said proudly.  
  
"So why is it called 'Return to Eden?'" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, it all goes back to magic's beginnings. There was once a great island called Eden where there were two inhabitants, a wizard and a muggle. The wizard, named Adam, took care of the island and controlled the animals with his magic. Eve, the muggle, in turn served him as his wife. But one day, a snake tempted her at an enchanted tree. The creator allowed only Adam to eat from the tree, because the fruit held magic. Eve then believed that she could eat it, and suffer no consequences, but she did. The snake told Adam, who had no choice but to banish her from the island for her greediness. But something happened when she left. The magic in her body from the apple formed twins, which she bore before leaving. One was a witch and the other a muggle, they sprung forth purely grown. The son left with Eve into the mortal world and the witch daughter stayed with Adam. The worlds were completely separate, but the legend stayed with the children, and the children's children. Finally, the children on Eden decided to venture out into the muggle's world and see if they could co-exist, but they couldn't," Draco told Hermione.  
  
"They couldn't? But, we do now," Hermione said, her eyebrows lowered in frustration.  
  
"No, we don't; we are hidden. The magic people who ventured out into the muggle world thousands of years ago were never accepted. They tried to retreat back to Eden, but it had been sealed. It disappeared and has never been found," Draco said, "But anyways, for millennia the magic population tried to fit into the muggle society, but ended up having to hide their magic. Weird hybrids were made between muggles and magics, like goblins and centaurs. Magic animals like dragons and snakes brought over from Eden terrified the muggles and were thought to be monsters. It became apparent there was no way our worlds would ever be united, so the magic peoples began to draw themselves back into a hidden world, our world. Wizards because the dominant race because we controlled the spells that kept us hidden and were the most organized. Other races, like goblins and hags found their place and developed their own lifestyle. When we secured forests for magic creatures, the giants and centaurs decided to live in them in their own civilizations."  
  
"When did the Ministry gain power?" Hermione asked, fascinated. She stared at Draco as if he were pages in a book.  
  
"Well, it never was really powerful until the last thousand years or so. It began as a council of the different magic races and eventually was left for the Wizards to manage since our numbers were the greatest. The other races formed their own smaller councils that still assist the Ministry today. But today, the Ministry is the law of the land," Draco summarized.  
  
"And now the Ministry wants to find Eden again?" Hermione asked sarcastically.  
  
"No, we want to make the world we live in now the new Eden," Draco said giving Hermione a "you better be glad I'm telling you this, so shut up and listen" look. He continued, "Once the spell is cast, it will be as if our world and the muggle world are on different planes; the same planet and land, but different existences and timelines. When they ultimately ruin their world and blow it up, it won't effect us at all, we'll be gone, in paradise."  
  
Draco turned to Hermione and smiled. Talking about this apparently made him very giddy because he was an obvious believer in it. "Satisfied?" he asked Hermione.  
  
"No," she answered with a smug smile, "Just what kind of spell is this, and who has enough power to cast one like that?"  
  
"Well, it is quite complex, but there are hundreds of specialist enchanters and potionists working on it round the clock," Draco said happily.  
  
"Are you allowed to disclose anything about it to me?" Hermione asked sweetly with an innocent smile.  
  
Draco laughed and said, "Cut the puppy dog eyes, I can tell you, it's no secret really. It is a series of magics that every citizen of the magic world will have to partake in. First, everyone will receive their copy of the spell and a vial of Uniting Serum."  
  
"Uniting Serum?" Hermione asked, "that's the one that makes your soul unite with anyone else drinking the same batch until the next new moon."  
  
"Yep, you really do read a lot, that's not in any of our schoolbooks," Draco answered. Hermione's cheeks had a small crimson blush to them. "Anyways," Draco said, "Everyone will take the Uniting Serum the night of the new moon, when magic is at its highest. Then, a large signal will be sent to every magic person in the world. When it goes off, everyone casts the spell. Then, we will be in Eden once again. We'll be home, with no more threats of their world and a huge burden lifted off ours. We can finally fly in the open and not have to hide our cities."  
  
"How poetic," Hermione said, "And that will be enough magic?"  
  
"Yes, probably more," Draco said.  
  
"What about those who don't say spell, who don't want to leave?" Hermione asked softly.  
  
"Then they don't leave, they get left behind," Draco said softly. He looked into Hermione's eyes and took her hand in his. He pulled her close and rested his forehead on hers and said gently, "Hermione, understand, this is a great thing. There's nothing left out there in that world. Your family is dead, they can't come back and you will die if you stay. You have no history there because this is your world. You are not a muggle, you're not a mudblood. You're a witch. You belong here, in this world, with our people, with your friends. You belong here. You belong with me."  
  
A tear ran down Hermione's cheek, but Draco quickly wiped it away. "There will be no more tears once this is done," he said. A tear ran down his own cheek, but no one wiped it away. It fell on Hermione's hand, and she felt him, she could feel Draco Malfoy. She felt his heartbeat and felt the cold spot where the tear had run down his face. She felt his joy at holding her in his arms. She felt the deep buried pain within his soul.  
  
"How am I supposed to choose?" Hermione whispered.  
  
"What is there to choose?" Draco asked sadly, "There's nothing left for you out there. There is death and disease and unmarked graves. Here, there is love, people who love you and things you love. You love Hogwarts and casting spells and being with your friends, and they love you."  
  
Hermione blinked as several more tears fell from her eyes. She looked back in Draco's.  
  
"Hermione," he said, "I love you." 


	6. An Impossible Gift

Disclaimer: I own jack.  
  
A/N Huzzah! Chapter 6, up and working! I keep getting more and more into this story! Each chapter is longer than the last, kinda like the actual books themselves, lol. Well, Thanks to all who review, you are my favorite people!  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Hermione screamed as she pushed Draco away. She stumbled up; destroying the attempted kiss he was about to give her. Draco stared at her from the floor where he sat, utterly stunned. He quickly regained his composure though and followed suit, leaping up right in front of Hermione.  
  
"What's wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with you?!" He yelled back. Hermione suddenly became very scared and started to pace backwards, toward the exit. "Oh, don't you dare!" Draco threatened.  
  
"Stay away from me," Hermione shrieked, her voice cracking in fear. She wished she still had that candlestick; Draco wouldn't approach her when she would set him on fire.  
  
"Damn it Hermione, what is your problem?" Draco yelled, throwing his arms up in frustration.  
  
"What's my problem? What's yours?" Hermione countered, her voice echoing angrily off the walls, "Who do you think you are, telling me you love me and trying to make out with me, I'm not some tramp you know. What on earth made you think to try that?"  
  
"Because, it's true!" Draco shouted.  
  
"True! True?" Hermione howled, "You don't even know me! You've never even talked to me beside tonight, aside from 'mudblood' remarks over the years, what gives you the nerve to try and pull that on me?"  
  
"I'm not 'pulling' anything," Draco said in exasperation, "God, how ungrateful are you? I not only save your life, but pay your medical bills and give you sanctuary in my home, and this is how you thank me?"  
  
"Well, what did you have in mind as compensation?" Hermione snapped, "You save my life so therefore you can make out on me? Let me in your house and you can bang me? What the hell was going through your head when you thought that was acceptable? Or is it just what your father taught you? Help out a mudblood then you can bed them?"  
  
"It's not like that," Draco started, but Hermione cut him off.  
  
"Yeah, sure, not like us mudbloods are good for anything anyways, might as well just give us the wrong potion and we'll get left behind in your 'grand campaign' and your precious gene pool will be sterilized, no more dirty blood in your midst!" Hermione ranted.  
  
"Oh please," Draco said disgustedly. Hermione lunged at him. She pushed on his chest, forcing him to take a step back, but he easily resisted her, she wasn't near as strong as him.  
  
"Come on, show me what ya got!" Hermione fumed, "You want me, take me! Why don't you just freaking rape me and get it over with!" Draco stared at her, dumbfounded.  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked.  
  
"Oh come now, the big heir to the Malfoy throne, can't get what he wants, might as well take it anyways, you know I can't fight you," Hermione hissed. Draco grabbed her fists because Hermione had started beating on his chest.  
  
"Calm down!" he said as he shook her lightly, holding her writhing hands at bay. "Hermione, what are you going on about, bedding you?" Draco asked annoyed. "Bedding" was the lowest term for sex in the wizarding world and he had no idea why she was bringing it up.  
  
"Yeah right, like you never consider it, I bet all men of power do just because they know they can get away with it!" Hermione said as she struggled against his grasp, her eyes wild, "Like you've never entertained the idea of rape."  
  
"What are you going on about? What are you saying? What is rape?" Draco said as he released Hermione's hands. She was surprised at this and didn't know what to do with them, she didn't think it wise to start hitting him again; he'd only subdue her. She hastily crossed them over her chest and glared at him, the spirited glaze still present. Draco repeated, "What is rape?"  
  
"You're kidding?" Hermione asked. Draco just stared at her, obviously not kidding. Hermione huffed and said, "Rape, forced intercourse." Draco just gave her a blank look. "It's when you force someone to have sex with you. Usually men rape women then kill them."  
  
Draco's jaw dropped and his lips curled as if someone had just peed their pants. "That's absolutely vile, what man would ever do that, it's just... revolting," he said in disbelief.  
  
"You've never heard of rape? Never known someone who was raped?" Hermione asked slowly.  
  
"No, never, I've never even heard of such a thing, I don't see how anyone could conceive to do that," Draco replied. "Do you know someone who was... raped?" Draco asked, the word now falling bitterly off his tongue.  
  
"Well, yeah, a couple. My mum was, so was my aunt, and two of my friends from muggle school were raped and had their throats slit after they got stoned at a party," Hermione said softly.  
  
Draco shook his head in disbelief. "Is it a muggle thing? It certainly doesn't exist in our world."  
  
"I guess it is," Hermione said, soft lines of realization crossing her face, "In the muggle world, one in three women gets raped."  
  
"Oh my God," Draco said when he heard this statistic, "That's just appalling." He held his hands up and tried to brush the hair out of his face, but they were shaking too much with what seemed to be rage.  
  
"I can't believe rape has never been heard of in the wizarding world, that's incredible. I never really thought about how safe and civil the people really were until now," Hermione thought to herself.  
  
"Hey, it's okay," Hermione said reassuringly as she pulled the hair back for him. When she did this, she keyed in on his feelings. She felt his rage at the mere idea of rape. He seemed utterly stunned and even more hatred for the muggle world bubbled to the surface of his brain. Draco kept his eyes locked on the floor, his hands still shaking.  
  
"Draco, it's okay, it really is," Hermione said tenderly as she took his hand. He quickly jerked is away and his head snapped up, his eyes looking apologetically into hers.  
  
"Hermione, I'm so sorry, I can't believe I did that, I had no idea that you've had to experience something like that, if I had known, I wouldn't have ever touched you, I'm so sorry, I never meant to scare you or make you think that I would ever," Draco babbled as he nervously rubbed his cheek.  
  
"Stop, stop," Hermione interjected, "You didn't know, it's fine. Besides, it's not like I was raped or anything, it's kind of a thing all the women in the muggle world have accepted... it happens. There are ways that have been developed to help cope: classes, books, counseling."  
  
"That's not enough! You shouldn't have ever had to live with that threat! Why doesn't the muggle government do anything to put a stop to it?" Draco said angrily.  
  
"They try, but they have a lot on their plate. Muggle governments aren't as precise as ours. We just use truth serums to find guilty parties, they have to conduct extensive trials and they often don't evev prove the rapist guilty," Hermione said.  
  
Draco looked at her, a determined look on his face. He looked right at her and said firmly and reassuringly, "That's exactly why CLAW must and will succeed, as long as there are sick things out there like rape and muggle men who actually think it is acceptable, there can be no way to coexist with their world. We're going to separate... and I'm going to make sure you never have to live with that fear."  
  
Hermione grinned at this and let out a small laugh. Draco looked intently at her, not knowing if she was laughing at him or something else. She easily caught onto this and wrapped her arms around his neck. He refused to grasp onto her at first, obviously not wanting to bring about any threatened feeling on her part, but quickly realized she was saying through body language, "It's okay, I know you aren't going to hurt me."  
  
She smiled again and said cheerfully, "My knight in shining armor!" Draco let out a small laugh as well and swung her around, gently setting her back on the ground a second later.  
  
Draco yawned and looked at his watch. "Little after midnight," he said as he yawned again.  
  
Hermione smirked at him. "Not sweepy aw we? Lil Dracy want me to tew him a stowey?" She asked, teasing. He smirked at her and placed his watch back into his pocket. Wizards had never really caught on to the idea of wrist watches like muggles had and stayed with the traditional pocket watch, after all, Janus Minitus the Timekeeper invented them way back in the dark ages, and some bumbling squib introduced them into the muggle world a few centuries later.  
  
"Just as long as you promise to tuck me in," He teased back, the earlier uncomfortable feeling forgotten because of their new understanding.  
  
"Well, you haven't answered all my questions yet," Hermione said as he yawned again.  
  
"But I'm tired," He wined.  
  
"Please, I was tired when I had to stay up and talk with your parents the night I arrived," Hermione said, using his winy tone back on his, "Answer this question and we'll be even."  
  
"Fine, but I'm not staying here," he said. He picked up the nearest quill and scribbled "Two hot chocolates." They appeared quickly, steam rising from the mugs. He picked them up and motioned for her to follow him.  
  
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.  
  
"My room or yours, wherever you prefer," he said. Hermione got a devilish look in her eye, but Draco did not see is as he was busy getting the portrait to open. "Wake up morons!" he yelled at the painted men on the other side.  
  
"I'll bet no one has ever seen Draco Malfoy's bedroom before," Hermione thought slyly, "I can totally hang it over Pansy Parkinson's head when I go back to school. She'll be so jealous to know that a nasty little Gryffindor went into his bedroom when that's the place she's been trying to wheedle into for the past six years." The soldiers on the outside had apparently woken up and the painting floated upward again. Hermione followed Draco out into the hollow hallway.  
  
"Yours," she said unconcernedly.  
  
"What?" he asked as he turned and waited for her to catch up.  
  
"Yours, your room. You've seen mine, only fair I see yours," Hermione said as she walked beside him.  
  
"Okay," he said, "But don't count on me walking you back to your room after this, I'm going to sleep, I'm exhausted."  
  
"Capuche," Hermione said. Draco turned to her and gave her a quizzical look. "Oh, never mind," she said.  
  
They walked for a few moments and turned down some corridors Hermione had not seen before and went up a few flights of stairs.  
  
"Where's the magic carpet?" Hermione asked.  
  
"In the Grand Hall," Draco said as they rounded a corner, "Didn't feel like using it today. Besides, my mum would flip if I spilt this on it. Those things are really rare."  
  
They came to a stop at the end of a hall in front of a large taxidermied sea serpent. It was coiled up and in attack position; at least, hoped it was taxidermied. Hermione gulped as she looked it up and down, from its black poisonous barbs to its hundreds of fangs, each as long as a sword and all pressed tightly together like an unbreakable bear trap.  
  
"Nice huh?" Draco asked, smirking at Hermione as she stared at it, a small look of fear on her face. "Loyalus Vigoruce por Malfoy," he said firmly as he stood off to the side of the corridor. The intimidating monster replied by slithering straight at Hermione, who stood in the middle of the hall. She screamed and dove out of the way, seeking shelter behind Draco, who obviously controlled the beast. The snake crept out a few more feet, its tail uncoiling and revealing a passageway beneath it. It stopped when it was uncovered. Hermione stayed still, staring at the snake that had stopped at the end of the hall, poised in attack position. Draco turned and looked at her, giving her a little baby look. "It's okay lil Nene, I'll protect you," he said as he patted her shoulder.  
  
Hermione laughed out loud and playfully punched him, "shut up," she said, "You'd have been scared too if you'd never seen something like that. Jeez, who on earth uses that as an entry, whatever happened to nice talking portraits?"  
  
"I do," Draco said with a smile, "Just hope you never have to see what it does when you say the wrong password." Hermione gulped again as she slowly followed Draco into the newly revealed passage. It led to a flight of wooden stairs leading downward. Chills went up Hermione's back as she heard the creature above slither back into its guarding position. "Here we are," Draco said as Hermione stepped down into Draco's chambers. Hermione was impressed with what she saw. It wasn't what she expected, but she definitely liked what was there. The floor was carpeted entirely by soft chinchilla pelts and a huge roaring fireplace crackled festively, keeping the room as cozy as hers. Large pillows littered the floor around the fireplace.  
  
"That looks like the perfect place to read," Hermione thought as she looked at the inviting pillows warming by the fire. Also, a large overstuffed brown couch that matched the pelts on the floor set off to the side of the fire and had a few fuzzy blankets draped over the back. A couple bookshelves lined part of the opposite wall and an old-fashioned desk set by them. Several books and parchments were stacked neatly on the desk; obviously Draco had finished his summer homework too. Draco entered the room and set the cocoa on the stone in front of the fire. He turned and walked into the adjoining section of the room. Hermione followed and observed this room as well. A large mahogany bed with blood red sheets fur throws was strategically set in the path of the warmth flowing from the fire. Also, a matching chest of drawers and wardrobe set against the wall. A mirror hung from the ceiling to the floor against the wall and had a table holding cologne and combs, all the essentials. Hermione peeked around the corner and saw another section of the room; only a hanging curtain blocked the entrance. She reached up to pull it aside.  
  
"Curiosity killed the cat," Draco said from across the room. Hermione whipped around and saw that Draco was changing. She whipped around again and intently studied the velvety fabric the curtain was made of. She heard Draco chuckling behind her. "Come on, not like you've ever seen a man shirtless before," he mocked playfully.  
  
"Well, I've seen lots of boys shirtless, but I still have yet to see a man," she teased back.  
  
"Then turn around and feast your eyes!" he said as he grabbed her and spun her around. She gave him a half-enthused look and ran her eyes from his face down to his feet. He wore no shirt, but had put black fleece scrubs on, and his toes wiggled on the fur beneath his bare feet.  
  
She looked back up and sighed, placing a disappointed look on her face and said, "Nope, still never seen a man shirtless."  
  
He smirked at her and pulled her lightly on the shoulder, "Come on, let's get this question asked that just couldn't wait." He led her back into the front room and they both collapsed on the soft pillows littered by the fire. She picked up her hot chocolate and sipped it. She glanced back at him casually as he did the same. "Yummy," she thought, only she wasn't thinking about the cocoa.  
  
Hermione was glad she had just dressed comfortably when she left her room earlier. She wore her favorite broken in jeans with perfectly placed rips and tears to allow her the most comfort and movement. She took off her sweater and threw it on the couch, not really trying to reveal anything, but just be comfortable. She wore a loose t-shirt beneath it that was from her mum's teenage concert going days.  
  
Draco mouthed the words confusedly and asked, "What's Blue Oyster Cult?"  
  
Hermione grinned and replied, "They are one of the greatest classic rock bands in the muggle world."  
  
"Oh," was all Draco said as he sipped his cocoa. He was obviously getting sick of all this muggle stuff, but hey, it's the world she grew up in. He looked at her and said, "Well, ask already, I'm getting tired and grumpy."  
  
"Tired yes, grumpy, always," she replied as she lay back, piling her spilling hair over the top of the pillow her head rested on. "So, what is an Empath?" she asked, staring into the flames.  
  
"Oh yeah, you're an Empath aren't you?" Draco said as he remembered his mother's words.  
  
"Well?" Hermione asked.  
  
"One sec," he said as he stood up and sauntered over to the bookshelves. He looked around for a minute, and then pulled down a large thick book. He brought it over and lay next to Hermione. She rolled over beside him and looked at the book he had set in front of them on the floor.  
  
"The Extensive Guide to Magical Gifts?" Hermione asked as she read the title. The book cover was dated 792 A.D. with gold embossing around a metal decorate seal of a wizard with his hands on his head. Draco opened it to the table of contents till he found what he was looking for.  
  
"Duplicity, Entrancement, Firebreathing," he mumbled to himself, "ah, here, Empathic." He flipped through the book until it fell onto the desired page. "Empathic," was in large gold letters at the top.  
  
"Empathic," Draco began, "The ability to sense emotions, desires, and inner turmoil. This gift is only found in halfblood witches and is extremely rare. It is only found in halfblood witches because only women can hold an awakening for other's minds and requires a balance of both muggle and magic blood to be awakened for unknown reasons. The power becomes more dominant around those who have hidden pain or feelings due the buildup of their psyche. It was believed to have first been had and harnessed by the twin witch daughter of Adam and Eve. Through history, the power has only been seen in one witch every thousand years and comes about by extreme mental and physical trials that force the individual witch's power to develop and become active in order to control their own fate by seeing others' thoughts and manipulating them for survival or the well-being of the person they read. The power is not limited to reading just witches and wizards; it also extends to every other race in the magical world, as well as magical creatures and muggles. Other than the twin witch daughter of Adam and Eve, the most famous witch to be an Empath was Silvia the Guardian who ruled the inner wizard realm 5000 years ago. During this time there was no war, famine, or murder within the inner wizard realm because of her extreme control of this power and the other abilities Empaths develop. Witches who are Empaths usually develop the power of Telepathy, Astral Projection, and Imperiousity."  
  
Hermione just stared at the book. She was entranced with the picture that took up the page next to the explanation. At the top it read "Silvia the Guardian" in large letters made of diamond shavings. Beneath that it there was a poem.  
  
"Silvia the Guardian,  
  
The lady in green whose soul was white.  
  
She loved and she saved. She sacrificed and gave.  
  
When those she loved most their flame death out did blow,  
  
Her power revealed and her love did doth grow.  
  
"The picture," Hermione whispered, "Silvia the Guardian, she's..."  
  
"You," Draco finished as he too stared at the painting of the queen long dead. Her auburn hair fell below her waist and was held back by a silverish crown embedded with emeralds. She wore a long flowing gown of green silk with silver veil over the skirt. The bodice of the dress had emeralds sewn into the fabric and laced together with diamond thread. "The crown," Draco said softly, "It's made of unicorn blood."  
  
"How can it be made of unicorn blood?" Hermione asked as she thought back to their experience with unicorn blood in their first year.  
  
"Well, after it stays on the ground for 100 full moons it dries and turns into that metal, it's the rarest metal in the universe, all four of the Dwarf Rebellions were fought over unicorn blood. It is extremely light and ties itself to whatever person holds it. When that person dies, legend says that if the person was pure and good, a new herd of unicorns will spring forth from the metal to compensate for the goodness lost from that person's life. If they were wicked, then the metal dissolves and the owner's soul is lost. It's quite a statement to wear anything made of unicorn blood," Draco said as he traced the picture on the page.  
  
"Incredible," Hermione said. She still couldn't take her eyes off the book. She looked and saw what appeared to be a bookmark sticking out the bottom. Draco shut the book and pushed it beneath a pillow.  
  
"Now you know, you're an Empath and might get more gifts, who knows?" he said as he lay on his side and looked at Hermione.  
  
"I still can't believe it, how could I ever come to have this ability? And wait, it said you must be halfblood to have it, but I'm muggle born! How is that possible?" she exclaimed as she looked back at him.  
  
"Dunno, but it just might change everything," Draco said with a smile.  
  
"But, I don't understand, I can't be a halfblood, both my parents are muggles!" Hermione said again. Draco yawned.  
  
"Just, wait till morning okay? We have a busy day tomorrow, think about it then," he said between yawns.  
  
"What's tomorrow?" Hermione asked, returning a yawn and rubbing her eyes. Sleep was contagious to her.  
  
"We're going shopping," Draco said with a small grin.  
  
"Shopping?" Hermione whispered baffled?  
  
"Yep," Draco said, "For school supplies and to get you some new things. You can't just walk around in ripped up clothes like those." He gestured to her jeans.  
  
"These are my favorite, and that happens to be the fashion," Hermione huffed at him as she snatched a large blanket and threw it over herself.  
  
"Yeah, well, we'll find you some nice wizard clothes tomorrow, and anything else you need. Right now, just sleep, we have to be gone by nine," he said as he stole some of her blanket.  
  
"Hey!" she giggled.  
  
"Smine anyways, share the wealth," he said with his eyes closed. Hermione closed her eyes as well. 


	7. A Gift Long Dead

Tah-Dah! Chapter 7 has finally arrived! Sorry, but delays should now be expected not that school has begun once again. But they do grow better with age, I admit. Thanks to my lovely reviewers, LadySpirit and ChicaBlue, you ladies rock! I really like this chapter, but I admit it does get a tad fluffy at one point near the end, but everyone's allowed to contribute a little fluffage now and then, and if you don't, well, you're boring, so there. :P Catch ya guys later! *Frost*  
  
Hermione awoke, but did not open her eyes. She was in complete bliss beneath the blanket. It was the perfect warmth and she felt Draco's presence beside her and his breath was a soft breeze off the top of her hair. Her fingers fell across something smooth and cool beneath her pillow, it was the book they had looked at last night. She carefully shifted over and pulled the book out and looked at it as she lay on her side. The bookmark she noticed last night was still sticking out the bottom. Grasping it, she opened the book to the page it held. It was in the very last chapter of the book and almost the last page. She squinted till her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and read.  
  
"Immortal," was in large blood red lettering at the top. She gasped, but quickly regained herself when she felt Draco shift in his sleep. He groaned and moved closer to her. He stopped when he came to rest against her back. Hermione froze. He made no sound and said nothing. A moment later, she slowly turned her head and saw he was still fast asleep. A wave of relief spread through her and she continued to read. "Immortality; the only magical gift to have died. No wizard has had the gift of immortality in over 5,000 years and is thus considered to be dead. All magical peoples once held the gift until the muggle and wizard world merged when it completely disappeared. Immortality is the gift of being unbreakable. This gift does not entitle eternal life, but is tied to another life force, be it another wizard, animal, or plant. The receiver of the gift cannot die or be harmed unless their "Guardian" is harmed in some way. Any damage inflicted on the Guardian is also suffered by the Immortal tied to them. Whoever holds the gift of Immortality and their Guardian is chosen at conception to birth fate. The second the Immortal opens their eyes after birth, the next living thing conceived becomes their Guardian. The power of Immortality then does not come into effect until that life form is born. Because of this, the power of Immortality is untraceable to infants born with it. Many questions about Immortality are still unanswered, leaving it the most mysterious of all magical gifts; however, they shall probably never be answered due to the belief that Immortality is dead. No one knows how the gift is given, not being genetic, astrological, or coincidental; but it is believed to be somehow related to the balance of magic at the time of conception for the Immortal and forces attempting to create a surge in either positive or negative magical balance on earth. The Prophecies of Hulstuus hold the most insight into the rise and fall of Immortality and predicts that Immortality will return to the wizarding world. These prophecies were long ago lost into circulation because they were taken into control by Dark Wizards trying to bring about the religious idea of Return to Eden."  
  
Hermione stared at the last sentence. "Dark Wizards?" she whispered, "Return to Eden?" She was so angry. "I should have known!" she thought as tears of rage formed in her eyes, "The Malfoy's being nice and pretending like they are the new heroes, saving us all from the horrible muggle war and their weapons, when it is only some plot to bring back some dead cult idea." Realization crossed her face. "I know why they're doing it. They become heroes, and Draco's father will be guaranteed some key position in the Ministry once our world is separate from the muggle's. He'll use it to gain power, to become the new Minister of Magic, then..." Hermione thought. "Voldemort," she whispered. Her soft whisper echoed off the walls. She glanced up when she heard one the fire die. The dim room went completely black. Hermione gulped. She looked at where the fire once was and saw that the fireplace was changing. The bricks clinked as they twisted and rearranged themselves to reveal a new passageway. Torches from the hidden corridor lit the room even more dimly than before. Hermione gasped and began to push herself backwards. "I have to get out of here, I have to get away," Hermione thought insanely as she became tangled in the blanket. She realized Draco was no longer sleeping peacefully against her back.  
  
"Draco?" she asked herself as she realized his presence was not where she last remembered. She felt his hand close around her mouth, muffling her scream. He pulled her back against his stomach and she stared into the eerie passageway.  
  
"Sh... calm down," he whispered harshly, "Don't make any sound!" She glanced up at his face, expecting him to have an evil grin on his face, knowing she knew his family's evil plan. But that is not what she saw. His face was full with fear, like hers. He stared into the corridor, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Hermione felt how his breath had quickened. He swallowed hard and whispered, horrified, "Salvation."  
  
Hermione watched, unblinking in fear as the bricks returned to their original positions and the fire burned merrily again, as if nothing had happened. Draco released her mouth and exhaled heavily. Hermione immediately began pushing herself away from him and towards the exit.  
  
"Hermione," he said as he watched her stumble and crawl away in the faint lighting. He went after her, easily catching her because he knew where all the furniture was and didn't collide with it as she had. He grabbed her around the waist and held her. "Stop, Hermione stop! Just wait a second!" he said loudly.  
  
"Let go of me!" Hermione screamed as she struggled against him. They continued to grapple until they were both completely exhausted. Draco pinned Hermione beneath him on the floor. Hermione breathed in the scent of the pelts as she turned her head to the side and rested her cheek against the floor. Draco pressed down on her back and she felt his breath on her neck.  
  
"I know what you're planning," Hermione whispered.  
  
"And what's that?" Draco said tartly.  
  
"Return to Eden," Hermione said, "It's all a scheme, your family is trying to bring Vol... You-Know-Who back into power. Once we're in another world he'll try to come back into power and your family is going to help."  
  
Draco chuckled and said, "Well, for once Ms. Granger, you are wrong. Guess we can't know all the answers."  
  
"Then correct me," she said harshly.  
  
"I can't," he said softly.  
  
"Yes you can, I know you can. Besides, what can I do to stop it?" Hermione asked. Draco sighed and released her. She sat up quickly and gazed at him. He looked back at her and leaned in, close to her face.  
  
"At Malfoy Manor even the walls have ears," he whispered. He leaned back and looked at her. Hermione nodded in understanding. "We leave tomorrow to go shopping in the city, we need to get some rest. We can get another hour of sleep between now and then," Draco said indifferently.  
  
Hermione caught his drift and replied, "Okay, let's get some rest then." She knew what he really meant. He would tell her what she wanted to know tomorrow, when they were free of the possibility someone might be listening in to what they were saying. If these walls had ears, who knows who was listening. They returned to their place by the fire and lay back down. Draco threw the blanket over himself and Hermione as she situated herself into the pillows.  
  
"How am I ever going to go back to sleep?" Hermione thought as she stared into the darkness, the heat from the fire at her side coming in waves, making her skin relax. She sighed and closed her eyes. Draco beside her was just as awake. She could feel him thinking. He was worried. He wanted to get away, and to get her away. He was ready to return to school. Hermione breathed deeply to put off the image that she had fallen asleep. Taking deep breathes, she felt Draco staring at her. She felt him put his arm around her stomach, and his fingers lightly met with the exposed flesh where her shirt had ridden up slightly around her midriff. She controlled the urge to flip around and bash him over the head. Draco was dreaming, or having some sort of flashback. She saw rubble, the rubble that used to be her house. Bricks, boards, and shingles littered the ground. Seeing through Draco's eyes, she saw him approach a pile of debris. He reached down and began pulling boards and bricks off the pile. She winced when she felt Draco cut his hand on a glass shard. He wiped it on his cloak and kicked the remaining trash off the mound. Then, she saw cloth. Ripped hunter green cloth. Draco reached down and pulled it aside. She saw a hand. Draco grasped it and began to pull. She saw herself emerge from the ruins. Draco peeled the crushed mink coat off her and threw it behind him. He ripped off his cloak and wrapped her in it. She was cut and bruised and bleeding. Blood poured from a large tear on the skin of her neck. Draco pressed the cloth of his cloak firmly upon the wound. The part he had wiped his cut hand on. The blood continued to come. With each heartbeat, blood pumped through her body, out of her neck and onto the tarnished soil below.  
  
"Don't do this," she felt Draco whisper, "You're not ready to leave here Hermione, and neither am I. He pressed his hand harder against the wound as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow glass ball. He shook it until the yellow turned into a golden glow. "She's badly wounded. I'm taking the closest floo straight to Nemdrand's," he said to the ball.  
  
"No, take her to St. Mungo's. Dumbledore will want to know where she is every second and we can't risk Nemdrand's being revealed," a voice said back from the stone.  
  
"Yes sir," Draco said frustrated as he returned the stone back into his pocket. He quickly picked up the bloodied Hermione and began to walk as fast as he could away from the desolated area. She heard more bombs whizzing off to the sides and explosions as they met the ground. People screaming. It hurt her ears. She was so sick of that sound. She couldn't stand to hear any more screaming, babies crying, wives sobbing. Voices yelled behind them and she heard bullets ricocheting off bricks and pavement a few hundred yards back.  
  
"Freeze!" a voice yelled to the left. Draco whipped around and stared at the speaker. Hermione recognized it. It was a Swedish soldier. They had aided the UK and other Unified Forces once the rest of the world realized neutrality was not possible in a war this catastrophic. Draco began to walk again but the soldier persisted, "Take one more step and I will shoot."  
  
Draco glared at him and snarled back, "Listen, she's dying, she needs to get to a hospital!"  
  
"I don't care, you could have been the one to have hurt her in the first place and now you're taking her to a POW camp. Set the girl down, you're coming with me," the Swede yelled back.  
  
"I don't have time for this," she felt Draco think.  
  
"I said down!" the Soldier barked.  
  
Before he could say another word, Draco had whipped out his wand and pointed it directly at the soldier. The soldier started to laugh.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked as he cocked his gun, "Do as I say and I'll try to get you off easy, maybe 20 years hard labor or so."  
  
Draco smirked. The soldier took aim at Draco.  
  
Draco pointed his wand directly at the man's heart and commanded passionately, "Avada Kedavra." The man hit the ground as the green light reflected off the pools of stagnant water on the ground. Hermione felt a feeling. Satisfaction.  
  
Draco adjusted his grasp on Hermione and began to walk again. He quickly reached an old library, McBerry's library to Hermione's memory. She used to do her homework there when she went to muggle school.  
  
"Sonicsortiamus," Draco said. The doors flew open, splinters and glass flying when the force of the spell hit.  
  
He charged into the spacious library. Piles of books and overturned tables littered the floor. Luckily, Draco had no trouble with his path because the spell had cleared a straight line toward the fireplace at the end of the circular room. He reached the wooden fireplace of the library. Reaching into his pocket he took out a leather pouch of floo powder and tossed some into the unlit hearth.  
  
"St. Mungo's!" he yelled as the green flames erupted around them.  
  
"Come on sleepyhead, time to get up," Hermione heard Draco calling distantly. She groaned and pulled the blanket closer. "Will you get up already? It's almost time to go," Draco called annoyed. Hermione opened her eyes and found herself in Draco's bedroom once again; fire crackling enthusiastically. Hermione groaned again and sat up, itching her eyes. "Bout time," Draco said as he stood back up.  
  
"Time's it?" Hermione grumbled.  
  
"8:00" Draco responded as he went into his bedroom. Hermione scuffled up and followed him.  
  
"I need a shower," Hermione yawned.  
  
"Help yourself," Draco said, motioning to where the mirror originally was. The glass had disappeared and was now a huge doorway into a bathroom. Hermione entered and located the shower.  
  
"Great," she thought, "Of all places in this mansion to be modern, it had to be the showers." The bathroom had all the modern conveniences, shower, sinks, even light bulbs.  
  
"How do I shut this?" she said loudly.  
  
"Try to touch the mirror and say 'reflectus distilus,'" Draco yelled back. Hermione approached the entrance and reached out to touch the invisible mirror.  
  
"Reflectus Distilus," she groused. She blinked and instead of seeing into Draco's bedroom, she saw herself staring back. Fuzzy hair, unmanaged skin, wrinkled clothes and all.  
  
"I really need a shower," she groaned to herself. She slipped off her clothes and walked into the shower. It was more of a room than a shower, with several showerheads. Crystal clear walls surrounded the whole side she entered from, allowing the light to pour in. She tried to find the hot and cold levers, but there were none. She grumpily humphed at the whole shower idea, but realized if she was going into the city she best look at her best. She touched one of the black ovals on the wall and water immediately began showering her. She sputtered as she coughed out the water, it had caught her off guard, but it was the perfect temperature. The water back at her house was always shifting, hot to ice cold, then no hot water at all. This was certainly a nice surprise. She touched a few more ovals till water was flowing on her from several angles. "Well, where's the shampoo?" she asked herself out loud. Instantly, a strawberry colada scent filled her nose. She realized that the water directed at her hair was filled with pink bubbles. She laughed out loud in girlish glee. She let the bubbles envelop her hair and happily rubbed it in. She hummed the tune to "She's got the urge (to herbal)" in happiness. When she finished this, water came again and the shampoo easily rinsed out. Conditioner followed as well as coconut body wash, which somehow managed to dissolve the unshaved hairs off her legs as well as her armpits. "Awesome, no razor burn!" she said laughing. Finally, regular water came again and rinsed everything away. She stepped out of the shower completely awake and refreshed, although she wished she could have stayed there a few hours. It was nice to be happy for once, even if it was simple pleasures in life like an exquisite shower. She quickly located a towel and dried herself off and began drying her hair. It seemed some wonderful servant had taken the trouble to bring her necessities from her chambers. She pulled out her brush and quickly untangled her hair and began blow-drying once she realized she didn't need outlets, just to simply flick it on and it magically worked, as did her straightening iron. She looked around and found that a set of her clothes had also been freshly washed, pressed, and folded neatly beside her bags. She put on the warm sunshine scented clothes; a pair of fade washed jeans and a royal purple floral print halter-top. "It's summer after all," Hermione thought to herself. She clasped a seashell hemp chocker on and rhinestone earrings. She changed the hoop through her cartilage piercing and quickly applied her make-up. She felt great. Completely refreshed and ready for a day out in the sunshine. She slipped on a pair or plain purple flip-flops (Laguna $2.99 at Wal-Mart, can't beat that!!) and was ready to go. She smiled at herself, bubble gum lips sparkling back at her. She tossed her used towels into the laundry chute and put everything back into her bags, slipping a lip-gloss into her purse and checking to see if she had any wizard money, luckily, she did. "I don't know what I'd have done if someone hadn't brought me all my stuff, imagine having to go out there in a towel and asking Draco to get it for me!" Hermione thought with a chuckle.  
  
She slipped her purse over her shoulder and walked over to the mirror. It disappeared upon her approach and she stepped back out into Draco's room. She went into the den-are and saw Draco sitting on a couch, sipping coffee.  
  
"Ready?" she asked as she stood in the doorway.  
  
"MMm?" He said as he turned to look at her. He coughed a bit and wiped the spit out bit of coffee on his sleeve and took another sip to regain himself.  
  
Hermione laughed and said, "Well, I guess I don't have to ask if I look okay."  
  
"You're wearing that?" he asked shocked as he stood up.  
  
"Yeah, something wrong?" Hermione asked sarcastically.  
  
"Well, that shirt, there's no sleeves! And it doesn't really have a back!" He said as he stared at her.  
  
"Yeah... soo..." Hermione said, "That's how we dress in the muggle world. Most girls dress like this in the summer. I'm actually quite conservative."  
  
"Well, I guess, but just... most witches don't dress like that," Draco said as he led her up the stairs to leave.  
  
"Well, I'm not most witches am I?" Hermione asked with a devilish grin as they reached the hallway. She followed him past the snake, poised to attack down a few flights of stairs and down winding corridors. Eventually, they reached the edge of a floor, looking out once again into the open hallway, about eight stories up. A magic carpet quickly came up to meet them and lowered them down into the grand hall.  
  
"So, is it just us going?" Hermione asked as she stared around the vacant hall.  
  
"Yes. Father's working and mother is having brunch with the Hulmits in a few hours, so it's just you and I," Draco answered, looking around for something.  
  
"So, where do all the trendy wizards shop these days? Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked.  
  
Draco scoffed, "No, that's just for school robes and such, we're going someplace respectable."  
  
"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked as she watched Draco searching for something.  
  
"This," he said as he picked up what looked like a stapler off a table in the corner.  
  
"Why do you need a stapler?" Hermione asked.  
  
"A what? This is our portkey," Draco said knowingly, "See, look." He ran his finger over a small etching on the bottom. It was a small engraving of a pointed wizard's hat. "That means it is a portkey," he said as Hermione ran her finger over the marking.  
  
"What time does it leave?" Hermione asked.  
  
"9" Draco answered.  
  
"What time is it now?" Hermione asked, getting annoyed.  
  
"8:59," Draco said with a grin.  
  
"Oh, Hermione said, "well, what happens when," she began, but suddenly felt a small pull on her belly-button.  
  
Draco looked at her sheepishly and asked, "Is that a tattoo?"  
  
The pull became much stronger and Hermione felt herself tugged away, towards their destination. 


	8. The Nearness of You

Disclaimer: I own jack.  
  
A/N: Hallo all! I'm glad everyone's being so patient. I'm trying to get new chapters up as soon as they're ready, but I'm taking my time to make sure they are perfecto.  
  
Roses are red, wizards travel by floo, sugar is sweet and so is CHICABLUE!!!  
  
Hermione blinked.  
  
A split second ago, she had stood in the ominous grand hall of Malfoy Manor. Now, she stood on a chipper street. The heels of people walking clicked on the cobblestone and a soft breeze rustled the bright green leaves of young trees lining the lane. The sun shone brightly and warmed her face, making her smile.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked Draco enthusiastically. She looked at him and saw he was squinting at the sunlight. He probably wasn't used to sunlight she assumed. She loved it though. The sky was a robin's egg blue and large fluffy clouds slowly wafted overhead. She heard birds singing in the trees and small hummingbirds darted around the seemingly thousands of flowers growing up the walls of the buildings. She heard laughter from all sides.  
  
"Fina Avenue," he answered.  
  
"You come here often?" Hermione teased. For some reason she didn't see this as the type of place he would go shopping; he'd probably prefer something a little more... bleak.  
  
"Yes, my mother buys all her clothes on Fina Avenue. My father and I get most of ours from Velopá Passage, a few stores up that way," he said, pointing down the street.  
  
"I've never heard of this place. Is it hidden like Diagon Alley?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," he replied, "Most people you know probably buy their clothes at Diagon Alley and The Cotton Groves. The Italian Vistas are mostly used by your more... prestigious shoppers," he said, hinting slightly at Hermione's company at school.  
  
"Neat," Hermione said, ignoring his remark, "I don't really care about labels and such, what looks good looks good." He looked at her and nodded, mostly in trying to end the direction of the conversation.  
  
"Come on, let's get started, we've got a lot to do," He said, leading the way.  
  
"Where all exactly are we going?" Hermione asked, following him.  
  
"We both need to get new clothes, I've outgrown most of mine and you don't have any. I've had appointments made for both of us at Deíju Salon . That will probably take us all day. I have dinner reservations and some rooms booked. Tomorrow, we have a portkey for Diagon Alley and can finish our shopping there. We'll pick up all our school supplies, then head to the Manor for the remainder of the break," he said as they came to a stop outside a small boutique.  
  
"Why do we need another portkey?" Hermione asked, "Why not just take the floo network across town?"  
  
"Well, we are in Italy," Draco said smirking.  
  
"Oh," Hermione said. She had assumed they were in London since most of the wizarding world was centered there. "Italy, how weird," she thought, "Most of Italy is underwater now. All the global warming and fallout from the bombs near the poles had caused the ice caps to melt enough for the water to rise and cover Italy as well as most of the countries lining the Mediterranean.  
  
The entered the boutique. It seemed pretty crowded, as far as snooty boutiques come. Usually they were empty because everything was to overpriced and three or four customers is a crowd. There were probably about seven or eight shoppers in the store already.  
  
"Bonjourni," the shopkeeper said.  
  
"Bonjourni, Signora," Draco answered with a perfect accent. The lady escorted them to a pair of chairs beside each other. They were seated and the lady said something in Italian. Draco nodded and answered in fluent Italian. She smiled and took out her wand. With one flick several magazines appeared. Draco nodded his head at them and she left to help another customer.  
  
"Since when do you speak Italian?" Hermione asked shocked.  
  
Draco shrugged and said, "Since always. My parents are both pretty fluent in a few languages. You just pick it up after a while."  
  
"What all do you speak?" Hermione asked, astonished. All she spoke was English and a little Latin. She had taken a year of Latin in school, but went to Hogwarts the next year, so that was all she'd had. She had considered taking Goblin at Hogwarts, but decided against it and took Advanced Contemporary Wizard History.  
  
"Italian, Russian, French, and a little bit of Dwarvish," he replied, taking up a few of the magazines. Hermione took the rest and began to turn the pages, admiring the clothing displayed.  
  
"How does this work," Hermione asked casually, not trying to reveal she didn't know anything about clothes shopping in a witch's shop. Draco smirked, he knew she was ignorant to the process and was amused by the fact.  
  
"Pick out the clothes you like, then you can try them on and buy what you like," he answered, trying not to make her feel stupid.  
  
Hermione said nothing and continued to flip through the pages. Most of these clothes were nothing like her style. They were all frilly dresses and were all pastel colors, definitely something she'd never wear. She gave up on that magazine and turned to the next. The clothes were a little less girly, but still not her style.  
  
"See anything you like?" Draco asked casually. She closed her magazine and rested her elbow on the table.  
  
"Honestly, not really," Hermione answered. She knew Draco's family would buy her anything she wanted and hated to be rude.  
  
Draco closed his magazine and copied her position. "Me neither," he whispered, grinning as the shopkeeper walked past and gave them a forced smile. "Let's try somewhere else," he said, getting up.  
  
They got up and left without a word, the shopkeeper was busy anyways.  
  
"I'm sorry," Hermione said as they walked down the sunny lane.  
  
"For what?" Draco asked, turning to her.  
  
"Well, I don't know, I just, I don't wear clothes like that," Hermione said nervously. "I've always just worn muggle clothes because they're what I like and my mom and I always went shopping for them in the summer.  
  
"It's okay, I don't care," Draco said truthfully, "I wouldn't want to wear things like that either if I was a girl, parading around like some doll."  
  
Hermione gave him a smile of relief. "You know," she began, "you confuse me."  
  
"Why's that?" he asked stopping and looking at her with a typical smirk.  
  
"Before now, you'd never been nice to me. At school you were always terrible to me and my friends, and now, well, you're, being nice," Hermione said.  
  
"People do stupid things when everyone's watching," he said softly, gazing at her. Hermione looked frustrated; Draco sighed and explained, "Listen, my family has never been a big fan of mudb... muggle-borns and I had to keep that image."  
  
"And why don't you have to keep it any more?" Hermione said, anger growing.  
  
"Times have changed," he said, shrugging.  
  
"Oh, well that makes everything okay then!" Hermione exclaimed, "Hate to tell you this Draco, but my blood is still as dirty as before."  
  
"It's not like that," Draco said, getting angered as well.  
  
"Then what?" Hermione snapped.  
  
"I never hated you Hermione, I never even disliked you, in fact I'd always... always," Draco stuttered.  
  
"Always what?" Hermione asked irritably. Draco looked at her silently then turned and continued to walk. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" Hermione said infuriated as she trotted after him. She grabbed his arm.  
  
Suddenly, all her anger faded. Draco didn't hate her. He didn't pity her. He wasn't doing all this for some image boost. Draco stopped and turned suddenly, locking eyes with her.  
  
"Always fancied you," he said softly, then turned and walked again. Hermione stayed where she had stopped, immobile. He took a few more steps, then stopped and looked back at her. "Are you coming?" He asked, frustrated. Hermione stood for a minute longer then briskly walked to where he had stopped. She looked into his eyes, full of anguish. She reached up and gently rested her hand on his jaw line.  
  
His words from last night rang in her ears, "Hermione, I love you." All he had done and said to her in the past six years had been image; he'd never meant a word of it. She felt that sincerity running through his veins. Maybe he didn't know what love felt like, but what he felt for her certainly wasn't hate.  
  
Hermione said with a soft voice, "Draco, I'm sorry, I'm... I'm just so confused. My head is always spinning, I... I don't know what's happened and what hasn't and I don't know what's going to happen." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I wish things were like they were before this war. I wasn't ready for any of this. I wasn't ready to see bombs dropping and cities burning. I wasn't ready to see my brothers leave and not come back. I wasn't ready for my parents to die. I'm not ready to say some spell and leave everything behind."  
  
Draco reached up and held her hand that now hung weakly on his shoulder. They stood in the shadow of an overhang from the store a few yards away. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her against him. He turned his neck for her to rest her head on his shoulder and breathed in the scent of her hair, strawberries.  
  
"Sallright Hermione," he whispered, "There's plenty of time left to think everything over. Just don't worry about it now, it will all work itself out in the end. You're so strong; I don't know what type of shape I'd be in if I'd seen all you've seen. No one should have to live through what you experienced."  
  
"Yeah, no one should have to feel like this," Hermione wept, "I don't want anyone to ever have to feel this way."  
  
"And they won't, not after the worlds divide," Draco replied. Hermione stayed silent. Draco exhaled deeply and held her tightly.  
  
"It's still so weird," Hermione chuckled.  
  
"What?" Draco murmured.  
  
"This; you touching me and me not wanting to push away," Hermione responded, "I'd accepted the idea that you never even wanted to come close to me, much less hold me."  
  
"Just because I never did doesn't mean I didn't want to," Draco said with a small smile.  
  
Hermione smiled as well and they gently rocked side to side, almost dancing. Hermione hummed the first tune she thought of, the one her music box always played.  
  
"Come on, let's keep going," Draco whispered, breaking their bond. He entered the sunlight out on the balmy street. Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile, following him. The walked past a few shops, glancing at window displays. They came to a stop outside a small store. The walls were painted a cherry red and a sign hung over the door that read "Mipsy's Modern Misses: for young trendy ladies."  
  
Hermione grinned at the name and looked at Draco who shrugged. "Worth a shot," she said. He nodded and reached for the doorknob.  
  
"Draco," Hermione interrupted. He stopped and turned to look at her. "I never really got a chance to say thanks, for everything," she stammered.  
  
"'s nothing," he said with a small grin.  
  
"No, it wasn't. You saved my life and are helping me build a new for the one I've lost, Thanks," Hermione continued, "I just want you to know that I really am grateful."  
  
Draco smiled and said, "You're welcome. It's the least I could do, and I enjoy every moment I'm with you." Hermione stepped up and took the doorknob to enter the store. She stopped; however and turned to look up at him, standing close. She stretched up, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and walked into the store. Draco stood there, stunned, but completely happy. A small tinge of pink colored his neutral cheeks as a big grin spread over his face. Luckily, Hermione didn't see, she was too busy greeting the shopkeeper. He quickly shook it off and regained his controlled self and followed her into the store.  
  
"Bonjour!" the owner said cheerfully.  
  
"Bonjour Mademoiselle," Draco responded.  
  
"Well, ze young lady tells me you are looking for some comfy school clothes, no?" she asked him.  
  
"Wee Mademoiselle," Draco answered.  
  
"Oh, no Mademoiselle, call my Mipsy," she said with a smile, gesturing for Hermione and Draco to be seated. "So, my dear," Mipsy directed to Hermione, "What exactly do we have in mind?"  
  
"Just some regular casual clothes for daywear," Hermione responded.  
  
"Okay, we'll let's see, stand up please," Mipsy suggested. Hermione did as directed and stood in front of a large mirror. "You have ze brown hair and eyes, and your skin is a fairer shade, so let's go vich somesing blue," Mipsy said, waving her wand at Hermione. Suddenly, her clothes transformed into a blue set of witch's robes.  
  
Hermione sighed at this. "No?" Mipsy asked.  
  
"I'm just looking for something for daywear. We wear robes at school, so I don't really need anything like this," Hermione said.  
  
"Robes? Since ven do you wear uniform's all day?" Mipsy asked.  
  
"Since always. Hogwarts enforces all students wear school robes during the school day," Hermione explained.  
  
"Oh, Howarts! I ze, vell, let's try zis," Mipsy waved her wand again. The robes changed to a plain three-quarters deep blue shirt with a thin white veil overshirt. Her pants were now back to the comfy black yoga pants she had worn before.  
  
"How's zat?" Mipsy said with a smile, "I apologize, I vent to Bauxbeautan's myself and we only wear our school robes to dinner. Every other time, we are required to wear formal dress robes."  
  
"Oh, well I guess that explains all the frilly dress shops around here," Hermione said. Mipsy nodded and adjusted the sleeves of the veil overshirt.  
  
"And ze length?" Mipsy asked.  
  
"I'd like the white shirt to be full length," Hermione suggested. Mipsy made the adjustment and the veil sleeves stretched down to her wrists and a bit past the hem of the blue shirt. Hermione smiled and nodded at this.  
  
"You like?" Mipsy inquired.  
  
Hermione glanced back at Draco who sat in the corner. He smirked and said, "Whatever you want."  
  
Hermione gave a thumbs up to Mipsy to show her she wanted the outfit. Mipsy smiled and waved her wand again, that outfit then transforming to another. Hermione turned to get the full view of the new outfit, a full-length stretchy skirt with swirling red, orange, and magenta patterns and warm black top. Hermione smiled at this. She was just getting started.  
  
They left about an hour or so later, Hermione now having all her clothing necessities, including shoes, pajamas, and even some new underwear, but of course Draco had to leave the shop for a few minutes while they sampled different panty and bra combinations. Mipsy had arranged for all the clothes to be shipped to their hotel for that night and eventually back to Malfoy Manor the next day. Hermione cheeks warmed again in the sunlight. Draco led her to Velopá Passage a few streets down and finally into a large store with a stone engraving above the door reading "Habbichi Mensware. Since 1500 A.D. Fine clothing for fine wizards." Hermione almost snorted at the sign but held it in; of course this is where Draco and his father would shop. "Guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks," Hermione thought. A skinny wizard led them to the farthest partition in the back. As soon as they were seated a young witch placed two glasses on their table. "Velcome Mister Malfoy," she said with a thick Russian accent. He nodded and she filled their glasses with deep red wine asking, "And who isss your lovely lady guest?"  
  
"Miss Hermione Granger," Draco responded, "She is a close friend and is staying with my family for the remainder of the summer."  
  
The Russian woman tried to hide the smug grin on her face but gave up hope and said, "Very good sir, your tailor will be vich you soon." Draco nodded and motioned for her to leave. She began to walk away, but added last minute, "And Miss Granger, vatever you need, just asssk and it vill be met." Hermione gave her a small forced smile as the Russian witch left, closing a thick velvet curtain behind her.  
  
"Hmm," Hermione sounded, glancing at Draco. He smirked back at her and picked up his wine glass, spinning the wine in the glass to keep it breathing.  
  
"It's her job to be like that," Draco explained.  
  
"I know that, but I've just never been treated like this. What kind of store gives its underage customer's alcohol?" Hermione asked as she picked up her glass and examined its contents.  
  
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.  
  
"Well, we're only 16, we can't drink can we?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't see why we couldn't," Draco said, then a realization spread across his face, "Oh, you're thinking of the muggle world. The wizarding world doesn't have age limits on anything, most underage wizards aren't stupid enough to get drunk so it's never really been limited."  
  
"Oh," Hermione said. She'd never had alcohol before. Her parents didn't drink it and she didn't have many friends back home because she was always away at school. Harry and Ron didn't have access to it either; accept for the occasional butterbeer, which had almost no alcohol.  
  
"Cheers," Draco said, raising his glass to hers. Hermione did the same. "To friendship," he said softly, locking eyes with her.  
  
"To friendship," Hermione replied delicately. Their glasses clinked and Hermione had her first sip of wine ever. It tasted like very strong grape juice mostly, and she had to admit she liked the feeling of knowing she was in a refined shop sipping wine from crystal goblets and fancy designer clothes awaited her at a five star wizarding suite. She felt like some sort of Cinderella fairy tale. 


	9. The Gods Long Gone

Rumble rumble. Hermione's eyes grew wide in embarrassment. She hadn't eaten in the last few hours and was starving. She heard Draco chuckle beside her.  
  
"Hungry?" he asked, glancing at her.  
  
She sighed easily and looked away. "Just a tad."  
  
"We're here, we'll eat dinner soon, after we check in," he answered, running his hands through his hair.  
  
They walked into what seemed like the Four Seasons of the Wizarding World. Hermione held in her astonished gasp as she looked around the lavish hotel lobby. An enormous chandelier hung from the ceiling with lights twinkling and even more individual twinking lights darting around the lobby ceiling and into the adjoining rooms.  
  
"Celtic faeries, enchanted so they can't leave the building," Draco commented, also looking up. The walls shone like gold and the floor was made of a glossy white marble. They approached the mahogany front desk and to check in. The clerk was a younger man, or what looked like a man, who smiled at them and gave a large bow.  
  
"Welcome sir and madam to the Grand Frosier, one of the most prestigious top five hotel establishments in the entire magical world," he said with pride, a large smile on his face.  
  
"Thank you, the reservation is under Draco Malfoy on the account of his honorable Governor Lucius Malfoy," Draco said smoothly. Draco's professional manner was so awkward to Hermione. When he would speak to her, his family, or other students he always spoke regularly, showing some emotion, usually anger, but when he speaks to "The Help," his voice drips off her ears like honey. It is calm, collected, and completely in control, like he knows nothing can touch him. Hermione turned her gaze to the clerk. He seemed human, only partially animal. He was African-American, only his hair was a burnt orange and his skin had the same color glazed over the dark brown. His eyes were catlike and yellow and his teeth were perfectly white with two fangs protruding over his lips. His hand rested on the desk as Draco signed a few papers. It looked more like a paw than a hand, with small stubs of carefully manicured retractable claws barely visible. A thin layer or the same burnt orange hair fuzzed his arms.  
  
"What do you mean?" Hermione heard Draco say and was quickly brought out of her own world. She glanced over and saw that Draco was coolly arguing with the clerk.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry sir," the clerk apologized.  
  
"Yes, well, just find an additional room please," Draco said frustrated. The clerk pulled out a wooden diagram of the hotel. Every small square, representing a room, had a diamond in the center.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but all our rooms are filled. We take reservations months in advance and your father's lease only includes the one room," the clerk replied, checking the list again.  
  
"There's nothing you can do?" Draco asked.  
  
"No sir, I'm incredibly sorry," the clerk said.  
  
"I see, well, we'll just have to take the one then," Draco said as he signed a form and added, "But I'd like you to remember for future reference the importance my family plays and if something of this magnitude occurs when my father is here my family might not continue our devoted usage of this establishment."  
  
"Of course sir, it won't happen again," the clerk said, bowing tragically.  
  
Draco turned and walked to the right with Hermione trotting after him, glancing back at the clerk who was making a phone call probably to his higher up and signaling to the next woman in line whom Hermione recognized as on of the Ministry of Magic's ambassador to Spain. Ahead of them a bellhop jumped up to open an elevator for them.  
  
"Private level Master Malfoy?" he asked after bowing.  
  
"Of course," Draco said as they entered. The bellhop, whom Hermione observed had the same animal-like appearance as the clerk, pressed a button engraved "private," and pulled the 30's style grate across the door. The elevator quickly rose for a few minutes then came to a stop a few seconds after Hermione's ears had popped. The bellhop opened the gate and door, ushering them out into the hallway and leaving them with a bow. Once the door was closed and the elevator clicked into use again Draco released his pent up anger.  
  
"INCOMPITENCE!!!" he exclaimed as they tore down the hallway. "Utter and complete incompetence. How could they do this? Don't they know who I am?" he continued.  
  
"Wait, stop!" Hermione ordered as they came to a halt outside a door with "Governor Lucius Malfoy" engraved in gold letters on the door. "Tell me what's going on," she said.  
  
"Well, the pathetic excuses for employees downstairs only booked us the one room, I had two reserved since there are two of us, but apparently there was a mix-up and now we're stuck with just the one," Draco said furiously as he fumbled with the key. He opened the door and they entered.  
  
"Wow," Hermione thought as they entered. "This sure beats the Hampton Inn like I'm used to." The room was fit for royalty. The carpet was soft and comforting below her feet and matched the flowing purple curtains in front of the private balcony. An elevated king sized bed matched the curtains with several hand-embroidered pillows. An opening led into a large bathroom and a purple couch in front of a fireplace was in the far corner.  
  
Draco opened the drawers of the dresser beside the bed and pulled out a new set of clothes. "I just can't believe this," he snapped. Hermione couldn't control herself, she busted out with laughter. Draco's head snapped up and he locked eyes with her. He shook his head and looked down at his clothes, unfolding them. "What on earth could be so funny," he said sheepishly. Hermione walked over and flopped down on the bed beside where he had laid his clothes.  
  
"Can you hear yourself?" Hermione asked, still giggling.  
  
"What do you mean?" Draco had lost interest in his clothes and stared at her.  
  
"My father blah blah, just one incredibly expensive oversized hotel room won't work for me and my ego," Hermione mocked, pouting her lips. Draco's jaw dropped.  
  
"How dare you!" he said, shocked.  
  
"Well holy crap Draco, you sound like a spoiled little girl! Who cares if you and I have to share a room? There's more than enough space to go around and it sure wasn't the guy at the front desks' fault, he just had to take the blame, and you know his boss is going to be on his case now. Just understand that crap happens in life," Hermione said, annoyed.  
  
"Well, excuse me if I just believe I deserve to be comfortable," Draco snapped.  
  
"And I don't?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you do too, but my status is just...," Draco said. He had unknowingly pressed the right button on Hermione.  
  
"Holy Crap Draco!!! You know what isn't fair? You know what isn't comfortable? How about hiding in a closet while bombs are being dropped overhead? How about coming home one day and your parents don't? How about answering the door when a man brings the telegram that your last brother has died? How about having to live with the fact that while you are living in wealth, those you grew up with are running around on the streets trying to find enough food to stay alive?" Hermione screamed at him. Draco stared at her in surprise and humiliation as she jumped up fled the room. She pressed the elevator button, her blood pounding in her ears.  
  
"Hermione, I'm sorry," Draco had come up behind her. The elevator door opened and she stepped in. Draco grabbed her shoulder and tried to hold her back. "Hermione, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, "Hermione!"  
  
"Stay away from me," she hissed with her back turned as the door closed. The elevator began to descend.  
  
Hermione felt the bellhop's eyes boring into her. She looked over at him.  
  
"Is everything okay miss? Is there anything I can get for you?" he asked. She shook her head and he got the message; she wanted to be alone so she could relax. He pressed a button and they came to a stop a few seconds later. As he began to open the gate he announced their location, "62nd floor, private recreation and spa." A small smile spread across her lips as she exited.  
  
"Thanks," she said. The bellhop smiled his large fanged smile and closed the door, leaving her alone in the carpeted hall. She walked down a few doors reading the gold words on each one. "Private billiards, Private gardens, Private sauna." She finally came to a stop outside the Private pool and entered. Inside was a large, shady pool with plants and vines dipping into the water from the lush surroundings. She had expected the plain blue pool, maybe a diving board, but this was much better. She glanced over and saw that a rack of plain black boxes were stacked by the towels. "Complimentary ladies swimsuit," the box read. Hermione chuckled, "This sure beats shampoo," she thought as she glanced around and slipped on the bathing suit. It was pretty obvious she was alone. She stepped into the water, which was the same temperature as a hot tub. She waded up to her mid-stomach and reached her destination, and lone wall at the end of the pool beside a small waterfall. Upon reaching it she rested on the seat with the water just reaching her neck. She sighed as she felt all the tension and her conciseness slip away.  
  
Hermione woke up when she heard a sound. The water was so hot it had formed a thin layer of steam over the whole of the pool, obviously hiding her. Someone was singing.  
  
"Cai-loo Cai-lay, I'll know you someday I'll find my way home and know myself there Forever I'm searching for my home hidden rare Seeing, believing, hoping, and dreaming The gates open gleaming Of the place so long lost For the truth that it cost And the curse it so brought And the center of thought That someday, I will find myself there."  
  
Hermione waded back toward the entrance of the pool.  
  
"Hello?" she called out softly as she saw the back of a woman folding towels. She stood up straight and the singing cut out quickly. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. The singing woman turned around, her eyes full of terror. When she saw Hermione, she threw her head down and bowed deeply.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry milady, I was not aware of your presence. You have my humblest apologies for disturbing you," she said petrified as she handed a towel to Hermione. Hermione wrapped it around herself and smiled.  
  
"What were you singing?" she asked the lady. She noticed this lady had the same animal-like appearance as the other workers here, only her hair was darker and her brown skin had black spots.  
  
"My song mam?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yes, that song, Ca-loo, Ca-lay," Hermione began.  
  
"Oh, just one of the songs of my people," the maid said softly.  
  
"Who are your people?" Hermione asked.  
  
"The Haishaw of course milady," the maid replied.  
  
"Who are the Haishaw?" Hermione asked, fascinated.  
  
Have you not heard of us mam?" the maid asked. Hermione shook her head.  
  
"Well," the maid began, "The Haishaw were once a small group of magic practicers in Africa long ago, when there were not yet witches or wizards, the God's were the small group of people who held all of the world's magic and were therefore very powerful. The Haishaw used the magic they gained to control the animals. The animals did their work, caught their food, and did their bidding, which included spying on the God's to help them learn new ways to use their small amount of magic. When Artimes, the Goddess of the Hunt and animals found out how her creatures were being enslaved she was outraged. She found the Haishaw city and cursed the people. She said that because they controlled her beautiful and helpless creatures, they had to become the creatures; thus, turning them all half-animal and taking away their magic."  
  
"So your people were made to be half animal forever, and you have to suffer because of something your ancestors did thousands of years ago?" Hermione asked in astonishment.  
  
"The curse was only to last for one thousand years, but the half-gods revolted before the thousand years were completed and Artemis was killed, locking the curse forever," the maid answered.  
  
"Wait, I've never heard any of this in any history class. So you're saying that the ancient Greek Gods were actually witches and wizards?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No mam, they were much more powerful than our witches and wizards today. Since there were so few of them all the magic in the world was concentrated in their hands, making them so powerful and even iving them eternal life. But eventually, all the half-God's they spawned rose up, took away their magic, and let them die. The half-God's multiplied and are now the witches and wizards of today," the maid responded.  
  
"huh," Hermione said, "How ironic that so many 'pure-blood' families hate us witches who have muggle blood when they actually came from muggle blood thousands of years ago."  
  
"Well, mam, if I may say so, they fear another uprising like the one the God's had. They don't want the unknowing magic holders to take their magic and leave them to the wolves," the maid said. She stood up and made ready to leave. "I'm very sorry to have disturbed you milady," she said again and bowed to leave.  
  
"No, thank you, your history is fascinating. May I ask what animal you descend from?" Hermione asked.  
  
"A leopard mam. My husband is a front desk clerk and he be a lion descendant. The animals chose us mam," she said as she opened the door to leave. Hermione slipped on a robe and followed, her clothes knotted in her hands. Outside were five little Haishaw children, two lions, a horse, a bear, and what looked like a monkey. Hermione smiled.  
  
"Are they your cubs?" Hermione asked. The maid smiled and nodded as she herded them to leave.  
  
"I thought I told you babies to stay in the daycare?" she heard the maid joking to her children as they walked the opposite direction. Hermione grinned and walked back to the elevator. A new bellhop, this one looking much like a sloth, took her back to the Private floor.  
  
When she reached the door she sighed heavily and knocked. A second later she heard footsteps and the door opened. Her eyes flew open and she stepped back. Draco had come to the door in a towel.  
  
"Whoa!" she exclaimed, nervous laughter overtaking her. His arm rested on the door, holding it open.  
  
"Coming in?" he asked cocking his head to the side.  
  
"Catch you at a bad time?" Hermione asked as she entered. She heard the shower running.  
  
"Funny, I was about to ask you the same question," Draco said, glancing down at her robe, "Weren't you dressed when you left?"  
  
"Oh," Hermione began, "I took a swim."  
  
"Well, glad to see you're back, our dinner reservations are in an hour," Draco said as he went into the bathroom. Hermione heard the towel flop to the floor as he entered the shower. "I'll be out in a minute," he yelled to her. Hermione chuckled and lounged on the couch.  
  
"Holy crap," she thought. I did not just think that. But she did. She couldn't help but think about how very nice Draco had looked. What made him come to the door in a towel was a mystery to her, but also a nice pick- me-up. Who'd have thought that under all those black robes was a perfect replica of those pictures art students always draw; "Nude with apple," where the man's muscles were all perfectly sculpted and toned, and the apple was an obvious representation of man's boldest sin. She forced the image of a very muscular Draco with his blonde hair hanging wet and loose in his eyes, while he wore only a towel out of her head. "Yep, definitely starting the night off right," Hermione thought. She stood up and walked around the room examining things.  
  
Still hearing the shower in the background she opened up one of Draco's drawers and examined its contents. A couple of shirts and socks carefully folded and placed in the drawers by servants before their arrival. She opened another and found a few other things. A watch, some pocket change (For him pocket change would be a hundred galleon token). "What's this?" she whispered as she picked up a note, folded and crumpled. He had probably taken it out of his pocket earlier.  
  
She opened it and read:  
  
"Draco, I had to leave you a note because I will be gone on business by the time you and Ms. Granger return from the city. This is a reminder of what we discussed earlier. Remember what we spoke of and what I told you. This girl is nice and will be prominent in society one day and our respect for her must be guaranteed, despite what other beliefs we hold toward her heritage. However, do not let your emotions overcome you. She will be a good comrade to keep for the future but I do not want to attempting to make any further relations with her. We already discussed the consequences of what you and her together could bring about and I do forbid you from initiating any romantic relations with her. I don't care if you say you love her, remember I disapprove greatly of it and will not support and decisions other than the ones I have informed you of. Please take care of your mother in my absence.  
Lucius"  
  
The shower stopped. Hermione hurriedly refolded the note and slipped it back into the drawer, silently closing it. A second later, Draco exited the shower, once again in a towel. Hermione quickly looked down, shielding her eyes from temptation and went into the steamy bathroom.  
  
"It's all yours," she heard Draco say behind her. Hastily, she slipped off her robe and swimsuit and jumped into the shower, letting the scalding water wash over her.  
  
"What on earth was that about!?" she screamed in her head. "Draco told his father he has feelings for me? I thought when he told me he loved me he was just trying to mess with my head, or even trying to get in my pants, but he told his father that he loves me? This is so crazy, I barely know the guy, where on earth does he get off telling his father he loves me? I bet he even told him that I loved him too and we were going to get married and have little bushy headed blonde kids running around some huge family castle someday. This is absolutely insane." Hermione furiously shampooed her hair and washed her body as if she had some filth on it that wouldn't come off.  
  
She quickly had a revelation; though, "Well, his father is against it so he will stop all action there. Thank God his father disapproves of this, which of course he would, I'm just some filthy mudblood to him. If Lucius forbids Draco to try to wine and dine me then he won't, he'll never do anything his Aryan father doesn't want him to do. Funny, who'd have thought I'd ever be glad Lucius hates me because I'm muggleborn?"  
  
Hermione stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fresh towel around herself. She ran a comb through her hair and set to drying it with the hotel's blow drier. "At least they have most muggle conveniences," she thought as hot air dried her hair, making it ever so poofy. She missed her Chi straightener. She opened a drawer and found a bottle of "Morin's Hair Everywhere." She rubbed a bunch in and her hair magically fell smooth, calm, and curled. She smiled and walked out of the bathroom. Draco sat on the couch with his back facing her, probably trying to give her the slightest privacy. She quickly dressed and applied a little bit of makeup. She wore a new dress she had gotten that day. A baby blue full-length dress held up by small shoulder straps made of pearls.  
  
"Ready?" she heard Draco say from the couch.  
  
"Yep," she answered as she went towards the door. He got up quickly and opened the door for her. In the hall she noticed he had put on a wizard's suit. He had on a white button up shirt with black pants and shoes. A shiny goldthread cape was draped over one side and clasped with a gold chain. This was the dressy evening attire most wizards wore other than dress robes which were for very formal events. When the elevator arrived they stepped in.  
  
"Le Bellaruaie," Draco told the bellhop. The elevator started rise. Hermione felt Draco turn to her so she glanced at him and gave him a small smile. He leaned in and whispered, "I'm sorry I acted like such a brat, you really helped wake me up."  
  
Hermione nodded and whispered back, "Don't mention it."  
  
He whispered, "You look stunning." Hermione smiled and looked down as the elevator doors opened. Her stomach rumbled, she had forgotten how hungry she was.  
  
"I do forbid you from initiating any romantic relations with her," Lucius' words rang in her head and comforted her.  
  
Hermione felt Draco slip his hand around her waist. 


	10. Inebriated Confessions

"Welcome to Le Bellaruaie!" an excited host exclaimed as Hermione and Draco entered the lavish restaurant.  
  
"Malfoy, 9 p.m.," Draco said.  
  
"Ahhh, of course! Young Master Malfoy!" The smiling host said with a thick French accent, "And who is the lovely Madame Sir?"  
  
"Ms. Hermione Granger," Draco replied with a small nod.  
  
"Excellent," the host said as he led them toward their table. It was set apart from the main of the restaurant; a small table for two by a far window that overlooked what seemed like the whole of Venice. She looked out at the many historic places, such as the ancient gaming arenas and temples from Ancient Rome. Hermione smiled, funny how they are seeing this place, when it is actually all underwater now because of the polar ice caps melting. A spell was probably keeping the entire wizard community in Italy believing they were above water and not inside an enchanted bubble.  
  
Hermione sat elegantly as Draco pushed her chair in for her. He turned and took his seat.  
  
"Your waiter will be with you immediately," the host said with a smile, winking at Hermione as he left. Hermione chuckled at this.  
  
"What's so funny?" Draco asked.  
  
Hermione shook her head and said softly, "He winked at me."  
  
Draco laughed, "Well, you can't blame him, he probably doesn't see many beautiful young women like you. I bet he usually just sees important men's fat wives or their trashy mistresses."  
  
"You know, you can actually say some really nice things when you want to," Hermione said in response to Draco's compliment.  
  
"It's true you know, you are the most beautiful woman in the room," Draco said, looking into her eyes. Hermione looked away and smiled.  
  
"Ahhhh, two young lovers for me tonight I see?" said a brisk young waiter who seemed to have appeared at their table. Hermione's eyes grew wide at this comment and Draco just smirked as he flipped through a menu. "And to drink for the young lovers?" the waiter asked.  
  
"Uh, we're not lov," Hermione began, but Draco cut her off, "One full bottle of Chez Gragueuaur."  
  
"We," the waiter said and left quickly.  
  
"So, what do you want to eat?" Draco asked, opening his menu.  
  
"Lovers?" Hermione asked, slightly angered.  
  
Draco smirked, "Let them assume, what do we care?"  
  
Hermione scoffed, she knew what he was doing. If he "loved" her, of course he'd be happy for someone to think they were lovers.  
  
"The waiter was just kidding, he knows we're not lovers, we're only 17," Draco said, reading the menu. Hermione looked at it nervously, the entire thing was in French.  
  
"I'm only 16," she said.  
  
"When's your birthday?" Draco asked.  
  
"December 20th," Hermione said easily, "Yours?"  
  
"March 20th," He answered. Hermione nodded and continued to stare at her menu, hoping she would magically understand French if she stared at it long enough. She failed to notice Draco staring at her, counting the months on his fingers underneath the table. "Know what you want?" He asked, interrupting her confused gaze.  
  
"No clue actually, I can't understand a word," Hermione answered. Draco chuckled.  
  
"What are you in the mood for?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know, what exactly do French people eat?" she asked.  
  
"Well, the menu has duck, steak, chicken, and salmon. They also have salads and pastas," he answered.  
  
"Order for me please," Hermione said, exasperated.  
  
He smiled, "Sure." The waiter returned and set a bottle of lightly chilled red wine on the table, whose name Hermione wouldn't for the life of her be able to pronounce. The waiter popped the cork and poured both of them a full glass of wine. Hermione smiled to herself, this was her second glass of wine today, "I'm turning into a regular alcoholic," she thought to herself.  
  
"And what will we be having for dinner tonight?" the waiter asked. Draco responded by ordering entirely in French with a quick and flawless accent. The waiter nodded and quickly walked away. Hermione watched him as he left and glanced around at a few of the other guests of the evening. All were exquisitely dressed, men in dress robes and wizard's suits, the women in evening gowns and glittering from all angles with diamonds and finishing school poise. This wasn't Hermione's world. She'd be much more comfortable sitting in a plastic booth at Dairy Queen eating a cheeseburger with a strawberry milkshake, not sitting in a stuffy 5 star restaurant that probably cost a fortune.  
  
"Cheers," she heard Draco say far away. She glanced away from the couple she had been observing, a fat man wearing a suit with several medals hanging off it and a woman with a horribly crooked nose. Draco was holding up his glass of wine, smiling at her. His smile was strange, unlike anything she'd ever seen in his face. She picked up her glass and held it close to his. "To us," he said, and clinking the crystal against hers and taking a long draught. She followed suit, remaining silent. She felt herself tap into him as she sipped her wine. He wanted to get out of here too. He was nervous. Not the place though, her. He knew she was uneasy and wanted to leave so she wouldn't be stressed. He just wanted her to be happy.  
  
Hermione looked up after she snapped out of it. Draco wanted her to have a good time and be happy. He was trying to make up for the fact it had taken CLAW so long to rescue her. "It's not his fault," Hermione thought, "Poor guy, he's been worrying himself sick trying to make sure I'm happy and he keeps messing up and making me angry." She smiled at this; Draco did seem so upset whenever she got mad at him. She looked up and into Draco's eyes; he had seen her smile and a wave of ease spread over him when he saw she didn't hate this.  
  
Hermione decided to break the ice; after all, this wasn't the dark ages. "So, tell me a little bit about yourself," she said half-sarcastically.  
  
"What?" Draco asked, surprised.  
  
"Well," Hermione began, "We're living under the same roof and have been spending every waking moment together, as well as have gone to the same school together for the past six years, yet I know almost nothing about you."  
  
"About me?" he asked, a small smirk on his face.  
  
"Tell me about Draco," Hermione said, resting her chin on her hands. Draco chuckled a little bit.  
  
"Well, I'm 5'9, have blonde hair, my favorite color is red, my favorite band is Fighting Jacks, I'm a Taurus, and I enjoy long walks on the beach," he said calmly as he ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
Hermione laughed. "No seriously," she said.  
  
Draco nodded and said, "Let's see, I'm an only child."  
  
"Go on," Hermione said jokingly, "What are your hobbies?"  
  
"I love art," Draco said, "I visit a lot of galleries and study art."  
  
"Really?" Hermione asked. "Do you paint?"  
  
"Yes, I paint," Draco said with a smile, "Watercolor, Acrylics, and Collage."  
  
"That's what was in your room wasn't it?" Hermione asked with a grin, "Behind the curtain, that's where you paint."  
  
"Yeah," Draco said, "And what about you?"  
  
"Well, I'm a Sagittarius, and the youngest of 5, my parents were dentists," Hermione began.  
  
"I didn't know you had siblings," Draco interrupted.  
  
"Yep, 4 older brothers," Hermione said with a laugh.  
  
"Whoa," Draco said.  
  
"I know," Hermione said with a chuckle, "My hobbies include reading and studying. I have my cat, Crookshanks, and my favorite color is robin's egg blue."  
  
"You've got to do more than just read and study," Draco said shaking his head.  
  
"Well...," Hermione whispered.  
  
"Well...," Draco teased.  
  
"I do dance," Hermione said, letting one of her few secrets she kept about herself and her muggle life while in the wizard world.  
  
"Like what?" Draco asked, refilling his and Hermione's wine glasses.  
  
"Most everything. I began taking ballet when I was five. I later took on tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, salsa, and interpretive dance as the years went on," Hermione said, "I took it over the summers when I was home from Hogwart's and practiced on my own when I was at school."  
  
"Seriously?" Draco asked, "Where?"  
  
"There's a dance studio on the fourth floor in one of the back corridors. Professor Flitwick told me about it. He's actually quite the tap dancer," Hermione answered.  
  
Draco started laughing, "Flitwick?" Hermione nodded and laughed as well.  
  
The waiter arrived with their food and carefully placed it in front of them. Hermione looked down at the meal Draco had chosen for her. It was a pasta dish with big round noodles. She looked over at Draco's. He had ordered what looked like a grilled vegetable platter on a bed of rice.  
  
"So what is this anyways?" Hermione asked him.  
  
"Sicilian Rigatoni," Draco responded, "It's excellent. White wine sauce with oregano and mixed with mushrooms, grapes, and peppers." Hermione nodded her head in satisfaction and took a bite. It was amazing. She watched Draco slice up a few vegetables and dip an artichoke in a white sauce. She had forgotten he was a vegetarian, and probably for good reason.  
  
When they had finished their meals the waiter came back and retrieved their plates. "And any dessert for the young lovers tonight," he said politely.  
  
Draco opened his mouth but Hermione cut him off, "No thank you." He nodded and left to calculate the check.  
  
Draco looked at her, "No sweet tooth?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, I definitely have one, but I'm sure we can find somewhere else in the hotel to grab something," Hermione said.  
  
"I agree," Draco said.  
  
Hermione played with her dress and fingernails as Draco paid the check and tipped the waiter. She didn't want to see the cost. They stood up to leave and headed slowly for the elevator. They entered the doors, but were quickly stopped by the eager host.  
  
"You forgot your wine sir," he said, handing Draco the unpronounceable corked bottle. Draco thanked the host and the elevator attendant closed the doors.  
  
"Private floor," Draco said. Hermione looked down. She could feel the buzz from the aged and potent wine. It wasn't bad, she was just very content. They went back to their room.  
  
"So what now?" Hermione asked as she quickly removed her painful shoes.  
  
"Anything good on the 62nd floor?" Draco asked. Hermione had almost forgotten about her earlier swim and encounter with Haishaw maid.  
  
"Yeah, plenty to do," she answered. She turned around from her dresser where she had taken off her earrings and saw Draco had begun to change right there. He had taken off his shirt and was struggling with his shoes. When he was triumphant he looked up and caught Hermione staring at him.  
  
"Just can't keep your clothes on around me can you Draco?" Hermione joked. He smirked and brushed back his blonde hair.  
  
"Like what you see?" he asked sarcastically as he pulled a shirt out of his drawers.  
  
Hermione avoided the subject and teased, hinting at a previous encounter, "I've never seen a man shirtless before."  
  
"You brat!" he said and charged after her. Hermione squealed and escaped into the bathroom with her change of clothes. She locked the door quickly and changed. She tied back her hair and put on her favorite ripped jeans and put on a plain black yoga spaghetti strap. She slowly opened the door and peeked out. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops and leaned against the wall. Draco was staring out the window. He seemed a little more buzzed than her; he had had a little more wine than her.  
  
"Ready?" she asked.  
  
"Huh?" he said as he came back to earth and looked at her. "Yeah, let's go," he said. She headed towards the door and he followed. She saw him slip something into his drawer. It was the note from his father she had discovered while he had been in the shower before dinner. They took the elevator to the 62nd floor and walked past several doors, looking for one that would strike their interest. The floor seemed pretty abandoned because it was 11:30 at night. They finally settled on private billiards and went in.  
  
The room was moderately lit. Thick red carpet was underfoot and large red couches were off to one corner. A pool table was in the center with a rack of pool sticks hanging on a wall next to a complimentary bar.  
  
"Do you play pool?" Draco asked Hermione.  
  
"A little. We had a pool table in our basement. How about you?" Hermione said.  
  
"Not much, just play it here and there. There's a table in the Slytherin common room," he responded. They chose their sticks and began a game of solids vs. stripes.  
  
"So what is Slytherin house like anyways?" I've always wondered," Hermione asked.  
  
"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Draco joked as he broke the set.  
  
"Nothing at all?" Hermione asked sweetly. Draco chuckled behind her.  
  
"Well, it's dark, kind of like a dungeon. Big couches are in the center around the fireplace, with desks on the edges to do homework. We've also got a pool table in one corner and an open corner with covered with rugs that people hang out on when they play games," he said as he shot in a ball.  
  
"What kind of games?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Not Gryffindor games. You're probably too innocent to hear about them," Draco teased. Hermione just shook if off and shot in one of her balls.  
  
"Okay, games like Spin the Bottle, Dice Toss, and Ten Fingers," Draco said. Hermione hadn't heard of Ten Fingers, but she knew what the other two were, and he was right, they certainly weren't her type of games. "Ten Fingers is a game where everyone holds up all ten fingers, then each person says something they've never done and if someone has done that, then they have to put down a finger. Last one out wins," Draco explained, "So, someone would say something like, "I've never French kissed, and whoever has would put down a finger." Hermione agreed with herself that she would easily keep up most of her fingers for most of the game.  
  
"How often do you win?" Hermione asked, wondering what exactly Draco had done. He smiled, knowing what she was hinting at.  
  
"You win some you lose some," he said, "I'm usually one of the last few though. Most of the other Slytherins are quite... erm... experienced compared to me."  
  
"I see," Hermione said.  
  
"How about this, for every ball you get in, the other has to say something they've done," Draco proposed devilishly.  
  
Hermione considered it for a few seconds, "Okay," she answered.  
  
"And," Draco added, "has to take a shot." He pulled down a bottle of vodka and set it on the table's edge with a shot glass.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, "No no no, absolutely not, I'm not going to get drunk."  
  
"Well, are you confidant you've never done very much? They you won't get drunk if you're as pure as you say you are," Draco explained with a glint in his eye. Hermione was up to the challenge.  
  
"Fine, you're on!" she said as she racked the balls. Draco poured a shot.  
  
Hermione broke the rack. Draco missed.  
  
Hermione shot at a ball and made it. Solids. Draco shrugged and looked down.  
  
"Okay," Hermione began, "I've never.... Kissed a girl."  
  
Draco took a shot.  
  
He then aimed at a striped ball and made it.  
  
"I've never kissed a guy," he said back. Hermione was disappointed and picked up a shot glass. She'd never had vodka before. "So much alcohol in one day," she thought, "What would my mother think?" She took the shot.  
  
She went for another solid ball and missed. Draco missed too. She made her next ball though.  
  
"I've never done any drugs," she said to Draco. He smiled.  
  
"I'm clean there," he said, picking out his next ball, which he made.  
  
"I've never had sex," he said.  
  
"What do you take me for!?" Hermione exclaimed not taking a shot. She quickly made her next ball angrily. Draco just shrugged.  
  
"I've never skipped a class," she said victoriously. Draco downed his second shot.  
  
He made his next ball, "I've never shoplifted," he said. Hermione hid a grin and looked at the floor. Draco laughed and handed her a shot. She took it, this time it burned a little going down.  
  
"I was 10 and it was only a little bottle of nail polish," she explained. He just laughed.  
  
Her next shot went in, "I've never been in a fight or wizard duel," she said. Draco took a shot.  
  
They both missed their next few shots when the alcohol began to take its effects. When they did make one though they both couldn't stop laughing at the other one. After three shots, the vodka really began to burn. They weren't able to finish the game because by the time Draco got to his sixth shot and Hermione got to her fourth neither could stand properly. Instead, they retired on the red couches with a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps'.  
  
"I remember, when I was going out with Cho, we were kissing one time in the DADA classroom during lunch and Professor Snape walked in on us," Draco said, his speech slurred.  
  
Hermione laughed. "What did he do?" she asked as she took a swig.  
  
"He said.......," Draco had to stop because he was guwaffing, "He said... get a room you two. I told him, we've got one, get out."  
  
They both laughed for a few seconds then it was Hermione's turn. She stretched where she was laying. They had both crashed on the couch, Hermione's legs over Draco's lap, but she really couldn't feel her legs anyways.  
  
"When Seamus and I were together, we were making out one time after hours, and he tried to reach up and unstrap my bra, but couldn't. He didn't know how to undo it, then he cut himself on one of the clasps," Hermione said.  
  
Draco swallowed a gulp of liquor. "What did you do?"  
  
"Well, he was trying to take off my bra!" She exclaimed, "Remember during 5th year when he had that black eye?"  
  
"That was you!!??" Draco shouted, not knowing how loud he was. Hermione nodded and they both cracked up.  
  
"Whoa," Hermione said, falling back a little.  
  
"Whasamata?" Draco asked, slowly sitting up.  
  
"Roomspinnin," Hermione mumbled.  
  
"We need to go," Draco said as he looked at his watch "It's... uh... it's 2 a.m.," he said after he remembered how to read a watch. After a minute of struggling to stand up, they both swayed out of the room into the hallway and into the elevator, Draco holding Hermione up. Luckily, no elevator assistant was on duty that late and they made it to their room without seeing anybody. Once in the room, they both changed into their nightclothes. Hermione ran to the bathroom once and puked, but Draco didn't hear because he was fighting with the alarm clock, which had begun to scream at him while he attempted to program it. She washed up and went back into the main room. Draco handed her a glass.  
  
"No, I can't take any more," she said as she pushed it back at him.  
  
"No, it's water," he said, "Take this potion and then drink the water, then you won't have a hangover."  
  
"Oooohhhh," Hermione slurred. She quickly drank the potion and water; her taste buds were already burnt and couldn't taste the potion. "Let's go to bed, I'm tired," she said. She crawled under the thick warm covers. Draco crawled in too because neither of them really cared about one having to sleep on the couch. Hermione felt the potion take effect. Her vision cleared and she could think plainly, she just felt really buzzed. She rolled over and faced Draco next to her. He smiled and stroked her cheek.  
  
"You are beautiful," he said.  
  
"You're drunk," she replied.  
  
"Yeah, but you are beautiful. I've always thought so. I've liked you for years," he confessed.  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked.  
  
"You didn't care what anyone thought. You knew what you loved and who you loved and didn't let anyone and their viewpoints affect you. Especially mine," he answered. "Hermione, I'm sorry I said all those awful things to you over the years, I love you," he said as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Draco," Hermione began.  
  
He looked into her eyes and smiled, "Yes?"  
  
"I'm going to kiss you."  
  
Draco smiled and ran his hand over her hair. Hermione smiled and leaned toward his lips. He ran his hand down her cheek and held her head. He softly kissed her on the forehead. Hermione blinked and looked at him confused. She leaned in again, trying to kiss him, but he stopped her again.  
  
"Go to sleep Hermione," he said. 


	11. What Pansy Always Wanted

A/N Well, I'm back again! Hope everyone's having a great summer.  
  
Hermione groaned as she awoke and realized the alarm was screaming at her. She heard Draco groan next to her as he shifted from his slumber.  
  
"Turn it off!" she pleaded, smooshing a pillow over her head and turning on her side. She felt Draco lean over her followed by a loud shatter as the wizard-waker (a small glass half-circle that let out a shrieking array of notes after you don't answer its soft buzzing for five minutes. Draco and Hermione were so asleep they slept through that.) He shifted back and pulled the covers over himself, leaving Hermione with virtually no blankets.  
  
"You jerk," she mumbled.  
  
"Wha?" he mumbled back.  
  
"You hog the covers," she said through the pillows. He just grunted in response. Hermione felt herself drifting off into sleep for what felt like a few minutes, when she opened her eyes again she squinted at the clock across the room.  
  
"Draco, get up!" she yelled as she immediately sat up. He just grunted again. "Get up!" she repeated, this time jerking the covers off of him.  
  
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped.  
  
"It's almost ten o'clock, we need to get going or we'll never get to London," Hermione said as she grabbed a fresh change of clothes and went into the bathroom. "Why am I still in the clothes I wore last night?" she wondered, her memory was very cluttered as to exactly what they had done last night. She remembered dinner, playing pool, drinking a lot, but after that things got really fuzzy.  
  
She got ready at top speed and left the bathroom, only to find Draco still in bed.  
  
"Merlin's beard, will you get up already?" she asked as she began putting on jewelry.  
  
"How can you be so damn energized after last night?" he mumbled.  
  
"Just get up and start moving, then you'll feel awake," Hermione said. Draco just sighed and retrieved the covers. "Oh no you don't!" Hermione yelled as she charged over to the bed and tore off the covers, flinging them across the room.  
  
"Will you just leave me alone?" Draco shouted, his words muffled by a pillow.  
  
"Aawww, wassa matta Dracey? Can't hold your liquor?" Hermione teased as she rested on the side of the bed. He peeked his eyes over the top of the pillow and glared at her.  
  
"I can hold my liquor quite allright thanks," he said. Hermione just smiled and shook her head.  
  
"It's okay, I'll just make sure you only have butterbeer from now on, since the real stuff makes you so cranky," Hermione taunted.  
  
Draco threw the pillow across the room and slowly stood up. He grabbed some clothes and began to change right there. Hermione's eyes widened and she immediately flipped around, staring at the headboard of the bed as he removed his clothes.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Hermione said, her voice getting a little higher in nervousness. She heard Draco chuckle behind her and felt his smirk driving into her back.  
  
"ooo wassa matta now lil Ne-Ne? Does my sexy body make you nervous?" Draco teased behind her.  
  
Hermione scoffed, "Sexy??!! Sorry Malfoy, but you just don't do it for me."  
  
"Well, maybe you just need a closer look," Draco said.  
  
"No!" Hermione shrieked as he wrapped his arms around her and they fell over onto the bed, Draco on top pinning Hermione down wearing only his boxers. "Oh! Get off of me!" she howled, trying to push him off only to fail. Draco just laughed. Hermione continued to struggle beneath him but he just kept her pinned down.  
  
"Come on! Admit it!" Draco said laughing, she was just so cute when she was freaking out.  
  
"Get the hell off me!" Hermione howled again.  
  
"Come on!" Draco continued.  
  
"No dammit no!" Hermione refused, throwing her head back in frustration.  
  
"Come on, you know it's true..." Draco said with a grin.  
  
Hermione scowled and shouted, "Fine! Draco Malfoy, you have a hot body and I want to grab your tight ass every time I see it. I'd make love to you right now if I could."  
  
Draco looked stunned, then a huge grin spread across his face. "Okay," he said, "I'm happy." He got up and began dress. Hermione stumbled up and headed toward the door.  
  
"I'll be waiting in the lobby," she said as she left.  
  
Draco just smirked and went to close the door.  
  
"Sick freak," he heard her say as she walked down the hall.  
  
Hermione reached the lobby and just walked around, gawking at it's magnificence. She found another smaller lobby located just right of the main lobby. She entered it and found it was more of a sitting room. She picked one of the uncomfortable chairs and sat, picking up that day's issue of the Daily Prophet. She skimmed through a couple headlines trying to find one that was interesting. Some team from Greece had won the Quidditch Cup or whatnot, Tabs had gone up in the dragon population, some new vampire was running rampant in Romania, blah blah blah. She finally fell across something of interest to her.  
  
"EDEN IN SIGHT!" the headline read. "After three months of retrieval, all witches and wizards stranded in the muggle world have been brought home. Also, all magical creatures which have migrated into their world in the past few centuries have been relocated to magically protected forests. With the rescue of the final stranded wizard, Mr. Tom McTibbins, Phase 1 of the campaign has come to a close. Governer Lucius Malfoy spoke yesterday to the other Governers, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, and many other important magical politicians. He explained that Phase 2 of the 4 phases in the campaign will begin immediately. Phase 2 will be the complete examination of the Wizarding community. Specially trained enchanters will begin charming all magical cities, holy places, forests, and water bodies to ensure that all magical creatures and structures will be transported into the parallel world along with all magical peoples. Governer Malfoy ensures that Phase 2 will pass smoothly and quickly and Phase 3 should begin soon. Fudge and Malfoy have also established a CLAW and Ministry force of wizards to help keep disruptions from the muggle war at a bare minimum."  
  
Hermione gawked at the article. Everything was happening too fast! She read the rest of the article, still in shock.  
  
"Hermione," she heard someone ask. She glanced up and saw Draco glancing in the doorway.  
  
"Hey, I'm over here," she said softly. He entered and stood next to her.  
  
"What are you reading?" he asked when he saw her clutching the paper.  
  
"An article," she said, her mind far away, "About Return to Eden, it's almost here. Uh, this can't be happening!" She let her head fall and she stared down at her knees. Draco kneeled down next to her.  
  
"You feel like it's coming too fast?" he asked.  
  
"Way too fast," she answered.  
  
"Well, it's not like we're reciting the spell tomorrow. Hermione, you've only been awake and known about the campaign for a couple of days, there's no way you could have accepted it by now," he soothed. He tried to put his hand on her head, but she shook it off. Draco tried again, "The actual transition won't be taking place for months, Hermione, just give it time. Try not to think about it so much. You're here, you're safe, and you're with me. Just wait and see how things go, then you can decide if you want to stay in a world that is quickly burning out or if you want to be with those who love you, be in a world where you have purpose and friends and a life. A world where you just won't be a civilian, who just becomes another casualty when you are killed in this war. Hermione, you love magic and our world, you fit into it perfectly. Don't let your past get in the way, you have nothing outside of this. Your family is gone; they're in a world that not even magic can get to. Don't join them, you're still too young."  
  
Hermione looked up at him, tears streaked down her face. "Why do you care so much about me Draco? What has changed between how you used to think of me then and now? Why do you insist on loving me?" she asked. Draco looked at her and gave her a small smile.  
  
"Because, who you were and where you came from won't matter any more in the new world. All that will matter is who you are, and that is what I love about you, who you are," with this, Draco places his hand on Hermione's face and wiped away a tear with his thumb, "I love you because you're brave, and smart, and stubborn, and you never let where you came from stop you from reaching your goals, no matter how hard I or anyone else tried." Draco stood up and took Hermione's hand. She stood up as well and let the paper fall to the floor. They walked over to an open spot in the room. "I need someone who can argue just as well as me," Draco continued, making Hermione laugh lightly. He took out their next portkey and glanced at his watch. "Besides," he teased, "No matter how tight my ass is you are the only girl at Hogwart's who hasn't tried to jump my sexy bones." Hermione laughed out loud at this as she felt the tug at her belly-button.  
  
Less than a minute later, a blonde boy and chestnut-haired girl appeared in the alley behind The Leaky Cauldron. They both blinked in the shadowed lighting as a grumpy (and a little bit lumpy) bald man came out the back door swinging a green bucket.  
  
"'dju come by Prki?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Draco answered.  
  
"'en don chuck et, put 'er en de buket!" the somewhat scary man rasped. Draco nodded, and tossed the stapler that had been their portkey into the bucket. Hermione caught a quick glance and saw a few old shoes, a pocketwatch, and an empty bottle of Cinnamon Schnopp's in the bucket. The man turned and shuffled back into the kitchen of the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
"What was that about?" Hermione asked as she felt her face to see if her eyes were still puffy, they weren't.  
  
"All Portkey's are recycled. It saves the magic used to enchant them. They're always made out of things you can't burn or just throw away, glass, metal, leather, stuff like that," Draco said as he pulled out his wand and walked over to the hidden entrance to Diagon Alley, quickly adding, "We don't just put everything we don't want into the ground and oceans like the muggles, we actually care about the future."  
  
"Hmm, who'd have thought? Draco an environmentalist?" Hermione thought. When she had turned 14 her parents had bought her a car because she had an early license for her job at her brother's coffeeship "Granger Grounds." It was a 1995 Honda Accord, older, but Honda's are made to last. The first thing she had done was put her favorite bumper sticker on her vehicle, which read, "Dirt Worshipping Tree Hugger."  
  
Hermione followed him through the entrance. A smile spread across her lips as sunshine hit her face. Diagon Alley, one of her favorite places. She looked around at all the witches, wizards, and other magical people as they haggled in the street and showed each other their prized purchases.  
  
"Mind if I go to Gringott's and make a withdrawal?" Hermione asked as she caught site of the massive bank gleaming in the distance.  
  
"Actually, I do mind," Draco said. Hermione gawked at him in shock "How dare he!" she thought. "You are in my family's care correct?" Draco asked her as they walked.  
  
"Well, yes, I guess you could put it that way," Hermione began.  
  
Draco interrupted her, "Then it is our responsibility to take care of you. Don't worry about buying anything, it's all on me alright?"  
  
"You bought me all those clothes already, I don't need you to buy my school things," Hermione began again.  
  
Draco interrupted her again, "Don't worry about it! Believe me, my family can afford it."  
  
"I do have money you know, I'm not just some poverty stricken refugee orphan. My parents set up a Gringott's vault for me the first time we came to Diagon Alley before my first year. Plus, Snape told me he had all the money and property that was left in my parent's name was transferred to my vault after you saved me during the bombing.  
  
Draco stopped and stared at her, "You know it was me who saved you?"  
  
"...Well, yeah, I do," Hermione stuttered.  
  
"How?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"I... kinda... saw it, in a dream," Hermione stammered.  
  
"A dream? Oh yeah, I had forgotten about the whole Empath thing," he said, looking slightly angered. He glanced around the alley and seeing no one he knew leaned into Hermione, brushing his nose against her ear and whispered, "If I were you, I would stay out of my dreams, you just might see something you weren't supposed to see."  
  
He leaned back and looked into Hermione's eyes for a second then turned and changed the subject, "Come on! Let's go stock up on our potions ingredients, they'll have everything in full stock since we've come so early."  
  
Hermione slowly followed, staring at the back of his head quizzically. She had picked up on his thought again when his nose brushed her ear. She felt he was very sincere about her not being in his dreams, but for a different reason than she assumed. He was talking about Voldemort as she had suspected, but he didn't want her to stay away because she might learn something about Voldemort or the Malfoy family. Draco was afraid Voldemort might learn about her and get into her thoughts. There was one thing Draco was hiding in his mind, deep deep inside his mind. It was hidden behind walls of useless memories and history of magic lessons. He had hidden it where Voldemort could never find it, something the Malfoy family was planning.  
  
"Hurry up," Draco insisted as he let her catch up with him. She had slowed down to a crawl while she was processing what she had seen. Hermione noticed that Draco was leading her to a different potions shop than the one she usually went to in Diagon Alley. Instead, he was taking her to one down Knockturn Alley. She kept walking silent as they neared their destination. She didn't want to bring what she had seen up here or now, it was something that had to wait for when they were in private and no one could overhear.  
  
They entered the shop together. The shopkeeper nodded at them from behind the counter where he was reading a book.  
  
"Good thing ta come ealy? Right? I got's everything all stocked up jus 'es mornin. Ya can take ya pick an even get somma ya mo powerful ingredients," the shopkeeper said with a devilish grin. Hermione went over and began grabbing bottles and small dried boxes of the usual, newt's eyes, ostrich saliva, snail skin. She placed these in a large shopping basket and continued to grab the essentials. Draco came over and grabbed all the same items she had taken, then began to read the labels on some of the unrequired materials.  
  
"Take whatever you want, it's always better to buy it now, otherwise it's a pain to get it shipped to the school," he said as he smelled the contents of a small glass vial. Liking it, he placed it in his basket. Hermione glanced into his and saw he had grabbed quite a few things, almost twice as much as her. She decided just to run with the whole, "I'll buy everything schpell," and began selecting many potions ingredients she had wanted over the years, but was too cheap to buy. She had a few books on different beauty spells, as well as many for love and vengeance potions she had wanted to make, but never had the materials to make them. She moved across the store, picking and choosing what she wanted. She was examining a jar of dried mermaid scales when she heard the shopkeeper exclaim.  
  
"Hey son, sorry but ya haf ta be a cer-e-fied wizard to buy from ah restricted section," the shopkeeper said.  
  
"I need this for a few potions I have to make," Draco explained as he placed a tiny black bottle into his basket.  
  
"I 'on't see why an underage wizard like yaself would be needin a bottle of werewolf heart silver," the shopkeeper argued.  
  
"Trust me, I do," Draco snapped as he put a few more items in his basket.  
  
"Well, I truly am sorry, bu I still can't let ya buy 'at wi-out some sot ahv upper permission," the shopkeeper said.  
  
"Here," Draco said as he reached into his pocket. He tossed the shopkeeper his CLAW certification. The shopkeeper looked at is suspiciously and looked back up at Draco who was coming down the stairs, obviously finished shopping. He placed his basket on the counter. Hermione threw in a few boxes of powdered veela skin (for the best zit concealer) and placed her basket on the counter next to Draco's. The shopkeeper handed Draco back his ID but still looked at him unconvinced.  
  
"As good an oll, bu I still don know if I can believe ya," he said slowly. Hermione saw Draco nod knowingly. He reached into his other pocket, pulled out five galleons, and slip them across the counter to the shopkeeper.  
  
"Convinced?" Draco asked with a smirk. The shopkeeper smiled and nodded, slipping the galleons into his pocket. Draco then quickly paid for the goods and they left the shop, each with one large bag.  
  
"Ready for some new school robes?" Draco asked as they crossed the street.  
  
"Yeah," Hermione said, "That was pretty shifty, what you just did."  
  
Draco smirked at her, "What's the matter Ms. Granger? Never break the rules? Trust me, stuff like that happens all the time. Everyone has their price."  
  
"Do they?" she asked softly, "Then what's mine?"  
  
Draco chuckled, "Well, it depends on what I'm trying to get isn't it?"  
  
"I'd suppose," Hermione said, swinging her bag.  
  
"You would be very expensive, no matter what I was trying to get," Draco said, "because you're so damn perfect. I'll bet if you had been that shopkeeper, I would have had to give you fifty galleons to buy that stuff."  
  
"So you were willing to give him more?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh yeah. That's one thing you learn, never take the first offer, you can always get double that," Draco said as they neared the clothing store. Hermione felt him wrap his hand around her waist as they walked.  
  
Quickly shaking it off she said, "Nothing's free right Malfoy?"  
  
"Right nothing's free," Draco said with a smirk, "But I never said it was wrong to steal a little bit of what you want."  
  
They entered the shop and were greeted by your usual overly-chipper salesperson. After insisting they were only there for school robes (They had already bought their dress robes yesterday) they were led to the back room. A few assistants appeared and made circles around each of them for a few minutes measuring and writing. They left and reappeared after a little while and handed each of them a set of robes. They changed and were outside met by more measuring and then some pinning. Finished, they checked out at the register, each with five new sets of robes, one for each schoolday. Draco filled out the form to have them owled to Malfoy Manor so they didn't have to carry them.  
  
After that they went to the Apothecary to buy some treats for Draco's eagle owl and Crookshanks. Then they proceeded to the Office Max of the wizard world "Parchment Paradise," down another street Hermione had never seen, Absollseter Alley. Hermione noticed that along with their regular parchments and quills, Draco had picked up a few enchanted ones that she suspected he used when he hadn't quite done his assignments. After that they proceeded to Hermione's equivalent of heaven in Diagon Alley, Flourish and Blott's.  
  
She sighed when she entered. Just the smell of books made her squeal with glee, which she did. She ran and immediately retrieved required schoolbooks for the year. She then began searching a few of the back bookshelves for books she hadn't yet read. Every once in a while she would say the title of a book she hadn't read, then pull it out and leaf through a few pages, deciding if it was worthy of her eyes. After she had finished her fourth bookshelf, she moved onto her fifth, but as she rounded the corner she stopped and jumped back. She had just seen Pansy Parkinson and another Slytherin guy who she didn't really know the name of head over to Draco. Intrigued, Hermione traced her steps back a few bookshelves until she could overhear their conversation.  
  
"Yeah, so I'm going out for the Quidditch team this year, Keeper you know," the Slytherin guy was saying, "I'm really good, I practice a lot."  
  
"Haven't you tried out for the team every year?" Hermione heard Draco ask.  
  
"Well yeah... But I really feel like this is my year, I'll be a great keeper," the brute continued. He was obviously trying to impress Draco who had been appointed Slytherin captain during sixth year.  
  
"There will be competition and the best one shall get the position, that's how it works so you can just shut your trap now because kissing my ass while appreciated, won't help your chances," Draco said.  
  
"Oh Dracey," Hermione heard Pansy say, (of course it's Pansy, she had the most nasal high pitched squawk of a voice), "You must be the best captain ever; you'll for sure get the cup this year. And you know I'll always be there, after every victory. I can help you celebrate the way a real winner should celebrate."  
  
"Sick!" Hermione said under her breath, Pansy was such a skank.  
  
"Did you hear something?" she heard the brute ask.  
  
"Bad hearing skills, not good for a keeper to have bad ears, have to hear the ball wizzing toward you in order to catch it," Draco said. Hermione smiled.  
  
"So Drakey, what are you doing for the rest of summer break? You can always come over to my house, we could swim, you know?" Pansy said, once again trying to get at Draco.  
  
"Thanks but no thanks, now will you please leave me alone, I'm busy," Draco said.  
  
"Oh, come on Drakey, you know you don't mean that, you've got to remember all those fun nights we had in the Astronomy Tower during fifth year?" Pansy said. Hermione's jaw dropped. Draco had gone to the Astronomy Tower with Pansy?! Everyone knew that the Astronomy Tower was only used for two things, Astronomy and Sex. It was where all the couples snuck away too to do the deed in private.  
  
"Uh Pansy just shut up!" she heard Draco say, "If your memory serves you well, which apparently it doesn't, you asked me for help on your Astronomy chart and whenever I'd try to go up there and help you all you'd try to do is jump my bones. Hell, you've never even kissed me, now just leave!"  
  
Hermione nodded to herself in understanding. Of course Pansy would try to trick Draco, gosh, what a slut! "She's probably done every guy in Slytherin, clear down to the second years this year!" Hermione thought. Unfortunatly, at that very moment when she was off guard, Draco pulled a book off the shelf, only to reveal Hermione staring right back at him. Hermione's eyes grew huge and she blushed horribly at being caught eavesdropping, but Draco only gave her a small smile and a wink. He reached his hand into the bookshelf, seemingly for another book, but instead grazed his fingers across Hermione's hand which rested on the shelf where he had taken the book. Hermione caught his thoughts, "Save me!" She nodded and stepped back.  
  
"Hey did you hear about that mudblood Granger?" she heard Pansy shriek. Hermione listened again. "Found out she finally got rescued. She was nearly dead in some hole that used to be her house. Stupid bitch, too bad they didn't wait just a few more hours, then we wouldn't ever have to worry about her again." Hermione's hands shook with rage at hearing that whore's insults. It got worse as Pansy continued, "Fucking mudblood, we should just keep them all out of the campaign! It'll just make Eden more of a paradise. Who needs that slutty little know-it-all anyways. I bet she's screwed Weasley, Potter, and all the other scum in the school nine times past Thursday."  
  
"I'll show her!" Hermione thought, "I'll do the one thing she's always dreamed of doing, but never will get to do." Hermione smoothed her hair, pulled her hip huggers down a little lover to show off her well toned midriff and rounded the bookcase.  
  
Upon seeing her, Draco said, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that Hermione is staying with my family until school starts." Hermione waltzed past Pansy and the brute and leaned up against Draco's side, he quickly caught the message. He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled at her.  
  
"Pansy," Hermione said stiffly.  
  
"Mudblood," Pansy replied with a piggish smirk.  
  
"Are you ready baby?" Hermione asked Draco. He looked back at her and nodded. Draco took Hermione's books and carried them with his own. They turned and left Pansy and the brute alone. Hermione, knowing Pansy could clearly see reached down and placed her hand on Draco's ass, giving it a firm squeeze. She heard Pansy scoff behind her and start to cry as they went up to the register to pay. Once outside, Hermione started to laugh out loud along with Draco.  
  
"Phew, thanks, I thought she'd never let me get away," Draco said as he shifted his many bags.  
  
"No problem," Hermione said as she glanced around.  
  
"So," Draco began slyly.  
  
"So..," Hermione replied.  
  
"When you said you wanted to grab my tight ass everytime you see it you weren't lying," he said with a smirk.  
  
Hermione laughed, "What can I say, you have such a sexy body, I just want to pounce on you right now."  
  
Draco, slightly surprised at this poked her in her well toned tummy, "You're not so bad yourself." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, we're all done shopping, ready for lunch?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded. They headed toward the entrance to Diagon Alley and went into the Leaky Cauldron for a late lunch.  
  
"So how are we going to explain the ass-grabbing to everyone when we get back to school?" Draco asked as they entered.  
  
"I'm not quite sure Draco, but that is another day," Hermione said. 


	12. Highlights and Insights

"Uh, I'm full," Hermione said as she leaned back in her chair. She had just finished the best garlic shrimp penne ever. Draco nodded as he let his fork rest in his empty bowl, which had contained an amazing vegetable rigatoni. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small black bag he kept his money in. Hermione ran her fingers through her hair as he counted out the total, throwing in a pretty generous tip.

"Your hair has gotten really long," Draco added as he placed the gold and silver coins on the table.

"Yeah, I haven't been able to have it cut in ages, it's all dead and uneven at the ends," Hermione added as she examined her split ends. "Yours has really grown too," Hermione said as she glanced at Draco. His hair had indeed grown. It had grown so much that he no longer could keep it slicked back in his usual style; instead, it hung rather limply on his neck and well past his ears. She had noticed that he had developed a habit of flicking his head to the right to keep a particularly long strand out of his eyes.

"What would you like to do for the rest of the day?" Draco asked, "We've finished all our school shopping, is there anything else you want?"

"No thanks, I'm set… well," Hermione said as she rethought his question, "is there anyplace where I can go and have my mane tamed? I'm not going to let Lavender cut my hair again!"

"What's this?" Draco asked, now interested. Hermione laughed and tried to shrug it off, but he insisted, "Tell me!"

"Well, do you remember last year when I wore my school hat for a week straight?" Hermione asked looking around to ensure no one was listening. Draco nodded. "There's nowhere at school or in Hogsmeade to get your hair cut, everyone just has it done over the holidays, but since I stayed at school, my hair never got cut. Lavender told me she had cut hair before so I agreed to let her trim mine…"

"And…" Draco said with a smirk.

"Well, she mutilated it. She tried to "layer" it, but just ended up cutting it all uneven till it went every which way. Then she tried to highlight it a little and ended up turning my whole head stark white right down to my eyebrows! I looked like an old albino lady," Hermione said, blushing. Draco was laughing. "I did fix it though! It took some time and lots of Fair Hair dye. Uh, what a nightmare!" Hermione said with an annoyed look at her hair.

Draco snickered, "I guess we all can't have perfect locks."

"Far from perfect you are!" Hermione interjected, "You look like some washed up skuzzy with that greasy mess." Draco looked hurt. Obviously his whole family took pride in their corn silk strands.

"Then let's go fix this," he said, standing. Hermione followed as he led her back to Absollseter Alley. He stopped outside a large two-story building with the entire front made of glass. It looked just like the celebrity salons in Hollywood and Milan. They entered and Draco walked up to the thin brunette at a black marble counter.

"Masseur Malfoy! What a surprise!" the lady said as her eyes opened wide at his appearance.

"I'm sorry to come in without an appointment, but school is beginning soon and I doubt I will have another chance to come before I depart," Draco said smoothly.

"Oh, I see, well, I can easily fit you in. It is a slow day today Yvonne is free for in a few minutes for two hours if you'd like me to pencil you in," the thin young woman said as she jotted something down in a schedule book. Draco nodded and looked over at Hermione.

"I was also wondering if there is another space for Ms. Hermione Granger?" he asked. The woman noticed Hermione hiding beside a potted plant and smiled.

"Geoffrey is free as well at the same time, I'll put her right in," she said as she scribbled in the book again, "Will you just be wanted a hair session today, or your regular sir?"

Draco thought about it for a minute and said, "Let's just have the full session, I probably won't be back for a long while anyways." The woman nodded with a smile and scribbled some more.

"Allright, you may wait here for a few minutes, then I will send you both in," the woman said as she left adding, "Would you like anything to drink or read?" They both shook their heads. (Hermione with a little reluctance at the reading part.)

"So what exactly are we doing?" Hermione asked, "I don't appreciate it when you drag me places and sign me up for who knows what!"

"Well, I signed you up for a hair session with one of the best stylists on the Isle of Man, with a facial afterward, followed by a manicure, pedicure, and massage; but if you'd like me to cancel it, I will and you can wait for me to finish mine. I just hate to spring something like that on you…" Draco said sarcastically.

"No no!" Hermione said, a little too eagerly. Draco smirked and Hermione frowned at him. The woman entered again and escorted them into the back. Draco went into the first room and was greeted by an energetic redhead woman. Hermione was taken to a room near the end of the hall.

"Here you go Ms. Granger, have a lovely visit, the lady said well-rehearsed.

A very 'happy' man greeted Hermione.

"Hello! I'm Geoffrey, I'll be here to give you the most beautiful hair ever today!" he said as he began whisking out various combs and bottles. "So what's your name sweetheart?"

"Hermione, Hermione Granger," Hermione said nervously.

"Well honey, it looks as if you came just in time! Another minute outdoors and someone would have notified the fashion police, your hair is in dire need of rescue and I'm just the man to save it!" he said as he picked at her long slightly frizzed hair. Hermione gave him a small smile. He led her over to a wash bin and began washing her hair and massaging her scalp. He jabbered to her about several things, many of which Hermione didn't catch. Things about the newest crazes for hair in the Wizarding world and how he could trust her, he had done hair for some of the most famous witches in their world. He wrapped a towel around her hair and led her back to the barber's chair.

"So, what do you have in mind?" he asked as he began selecting from a long row of scissors.

"We..ell," Hermione stuttered, unsure.

"Do you want long, short, curly, straight?" he asked, picking a pair of gleaming and somewhat threatening shears.

"I'd like to keep it longer, at least to my shoulders. I want it to look good straight and curly because I wear both," Hermione said, staring at herself in the mirror.

"Layered?" he asked.

"NO!" Hermione yelped, remembering Lavender. He smiled and turned the chair so she couldn't see herself.

"Don't worry sweetie, I'll be gentle," he teased as he began hacking away.

"So how's business with CLAW?" Yvonne asked, "Make any new discoveries, save any new wizards?"

"We don't discuss CLAW business outside of public conferences," Draco said stiffly.

"ooohhh, mysterious," she said as she finished washing his hair.

She tut tutted him as she examined his hair, "So long and greasy, you need to take better care of yourself Draco!"

"That's what you are for!" he said teasingly, but still assertive. She nodded and chose a pair of thin scissors.

"The usual?" she asked, looking at him in the mirror.

"Well, no actually, let's try something a little more….fun," Draco said with a small grin.

"Draco Malfoy? Having fun? When did this develop?" she asked.

"Nothing significant. I just decided I'd like to try something new. Maybe not so short or slicked, more fun and free," he said giving himself a look of self-assurance.

"Okay! You want fun, I'll give you fun!" Yvonne said as she began snipping away.

"So, how long have you known the young Malfoy boy?" Geoffrey inquired as he began painting some blue goo into her hair and folding it up in paper.

"Since first year I spose, but we haven't really talked until this summer," Hermione said as she stared in horror at what he was doing. "Why are you turning my hair blue!" she exclaimed.

"Oh baby cakes, it's just bleach, trust me, you'll be absolutely fabulous with a little blonde in that dull brown," he said as he grabbed more paper and pinned more of her hair on top of her head. "What brought you two together this summer?" he asked.

"I'm staying at his family's manor until school starts," Hermione answered.

"What about your family, any brothers or sisters? Why aren't you staying with them?" he asked.

"Oh well…." Hermione said softly.

"It's okay, you don't have to answer, just trying to make conversation," Geoffrey added.

"No… it's okay…" Hermione said, thinking to herself, "It's not some big secret you know, might as well tell him as practice for when I have to tell my friends at school."

"I'm muggle-born, with 4 older brothers, 2 sister-in-laws, 3 nephews," Hermione said.

"4! Holy crap sister, you were in testosterone territory!" he said as he worked on her hair.

"Yeah, well, I get along with guys really well now," Hermione joked.

"So where are they? What do they do?" he asked.

"They… They're all dead. They were killed in the war, on the battlefield," Hermione said hesitantly.

Geoffrey stopped and looked down in shock, "Oh, I'm so sorry… It must be awful."

"No, it takes time, but you learn to accept that they're in a better place," Hermione whispered.

He nodded, "Yes, they are in a great place now. They're all probably together right now."

Hermione smiled and said, "No one in my family ever likes to be alone, we had such close quarters growing up you need lots of noise and people around to annoy you or else you're just bored stiff. Yeah… They're all probably together, my brothers and their wives, my 3 nephews, …my parents." Hermione trailed off. Geoffrey suppressed his look of pity. She was all alone. All her family had died in the war, now she was an orphan with nowhere to go.

"OKAY! You are ready to dry sweetheart!" he said enthusiastically. Geoffrey held up his wand and muttered an incantation. It hovered about Hermione's head and began to surge heat down on her head to dry the bleach. "I'll be right back," Hermione heard him say.

"So you saved this girl and now she's living with you?" Yvonne was asking.

"Yes, she's staying with us until term starts, war refugee," Draco answered. Yvonne nodded knowingly.

"This war is just dreadful!" she said, accidentally tugging Draco's head a little to hard. "Whoops!" she said as she rubbed the sore spot. "So you like her?" Yvonne asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"No, she's just staying with my family," Draco said impassively.

Yvonne smirked, "Riiiiiiiight, you let everyone you save come live with you, then you take them shopping for all the nicest most expensive clothes and take them to the finest restaurants in the world simply because you were the one who rescued them."

Draco glared at her reflection in the mirror and snapped, "She has no where to go, it's the least we can do. She deserves to have the things she desires after all the horror she's had to experience."

Yvonne nodded, "Like what?"

"Like the war, her parents are dead too," Draco said.

"So she told you about what she's lost?" Yvonne asked.

"Well, no, that's what I've picked up," Draco defended.

"Sometimes clothes and servants can't heal a wound made from something that dramatic, especially when you have no idea how deep the wound actually is. This girl may have more horrors hidden inside that you don't know of. Only love can heal the scars of her past, and it looks like you might be one of the few who can help mend her torn heart."

Draco scoffed and mumbled, "Love… rubbish."

"Oh Dracey, you've got the love thing down pat. You obviously love this girl more than anything else in this world; the only problem is you won't express it. She won't love you if all you do is buy her things and take her places. Don't just be with her Draco, be together."

She waved her wand over him and his hair began to dry. He heard Yvonne go out into the hallway where he heard her begin to talk to a few of the other beauticians. He ignored their chatter for a few minutes but eventually leaned out of the heat rays to eavesdrop.

He heard a crisp male voice talking, "Poor thing, she's been through so much! She not only lost her parents in the war, but she had 4 brothers who all died on the battlefield. Her 2 sister-in-laws have died too along with her 3 nephews. It's just so sad. She's all alone in this world now. Just imagine if your entire family died and you were the only one who lived, and just by a rare chance. Makes you kind of wish you had died too so you wouldn't be the only one left. Now she has to stay with the Malfoy's? They are the coldest family I've ever met. I feel so bad for her! She's probably so drained and lonely right now. Can you imagine? She probably sits alone every night crying because there's no one for her to love or love her back. It just makes me cry, I hate this stupid war."

Draco heard Yvonne speak up, "Well, someone does love her, he just won't let her know because he's afraid she'll leave. He just doesn't understand that he's just letting her die inside every second he doesn't show her."

Draco threw himself back into his chair and let the heat overtake him again. He hated this, no one understood! He had tried to tell Hermione, she wouldn't believe him. She just blew him off every time, thinking he was just trying to sleep with her. He ached for her. He didn't know what else to do to show her that he loved her. She wouldn't tell him her problems; she didn't trust him with anything. He was lost. He hadn't known she had lost that much, hell, he hadn't even known she had older brothers, he'd just figured it was her and her parents. She had lost eleven of the most important people in her life and he hadn't even known about them accept for her two parents. He felt like an utter fool.

"All done?" he heard a voice ask far away. Draco snapped back to reality and saw that Yvonne had begun removing the foil from his head and she began washing his hair. She quickly dried and styled it. He was then led upstairs to the spa where his usual was waiting for him. "Hermione has already begun her facial so she'll probably finish up the day about the same time as you. I'll put the bill on your family's account. I hope to see you again soon Mr. Malfoy," Yvonne said as she left the room. Draco sighed as he layback in his chair and let the facialist throw goop on his face. He then had his manicure and pedicure. He was relieved as he lay face down with a towel around his waist as he waited for his massage. He hadn't talked the entire time because he couldn't keep his thoughts off of Hermione and how he could convince her he loved her. There was no way he could think of to get her to trust him. The masseuse entered, lit a few candles, and began playing soft reed music in the background. Draco had become famous around the spa for having the most rock hard back. His muscles were always tense and stressed, it took their strongest massage therapist to work all the kinks and knots out of his muscles and they always returned in a few short days.

He felt the masseuse place a few hot stones on his back and slowly rub them into his muscles. After a few minutes and a lot of tension release the masseuse spoke to him. "Draco, just let all your problems slip out of you. Let all your dark emotions and negative energy just flow out of your body and onto the floor, let the enlightened chi destroy the negative and let the positive enter your body."

Draco's eyes snapped open when he heard her say this. He stared down at the floor and he knew what to do. He knew exactly what it was he had to do to convince Hermione he loved her. She didn't trust him, she had no reason to. He had only been cruel and loathsome to her for the past 6 years, now his niceness was only smalltalk; yet, he had expected it to someway woo her to his heart. She could not love him until she trusted him though and he had yet to give her a reason to trust him. But now he knew. She didn't trust him because he didn't trust her. He hadn't told her anything. Both of them kept their black histories and memories locked inside their innermost mind. If he let her into his, if he let her be the first and only person to know him and his life, if he trusted her, then she would do the same for him.

Draco dressed and waited for Hermione in the entryway. He continued to convince himself mentally that he would reveal to Hermione what it was he always kept secret. He would let her see Draco for who Draco was. He would let down the stone barrier and let her see the human he was. He just hoped she would accept him as a human, for he had only been a monster to her.


	13. A Reason To Trust

A/N Hey guys! Well, I'm back from camp. Being a camp counselor is so fun! Here's my newest chapter, it's getting really good I think. Thanks to my reviewers. Chelsea, you are right, I haven't had very many reviews for my story (hint hint), but thanks to all who did! I'm glad to know you like my writing. (  
  
Draco sighed as he left the spa. His entire body felt at ease and cleansed. He saw Hermione waiting for him on a bench. She looked absolutely amazing. Her hair had been trimmed off a few inches and streaks of red and blonde spiced up her look. He approached her, trying to figure out what she was staring at. After standing behind her for a moment, he looked up and saw what she was so in awe of. It was getting later and the sun had almost finished setting, leaving by far one of the most beautiful sunsets he had ever seen. Wisps of pink and salmon danced across the sky, which changed from blood red to orange to deep purple. High clouds added to the spectrum by allowing rays of yellow filter down to the earth below.  
  
"It's the perfect canvas," he thought to himself, "Vibrant colors, being watched by a figure that is only black, it's breathtaking."  
  
"Lovely isn't it?" he heard Hermione ask, not turning around. He stood behind her and rested his hands on the back of the bench. They stared at it in silence for a few more minutes. When the sun had dropped out of view Hermione stood and they began walking back to the Leaky Cauldron. When they finally reached it they went up to their shared room (once again, their arrangements had been messed up, but Draco had contained his rage, remembering Hermione's fit the first time) they shuffled around the room, arranging bags and sorting books. Eventually, Hermione pulled out a book and began to read on the bed whilst Draco retreated to the small balcony. She read for quite some time until she finally realized it was past 9 and they hadn't eaten yet. She closed her book and went to the balcony.  
  
"What are you working on?" Hermione asked softly after she realized he was focused on a large notebook in his hand. Draco startled at her voice and quickly flipped the cover closed. He threw what looked like pastels into a bag and placed his items in a drawer. "He's really protective of his art," Hermione thought to herself, "First curtains in his room, now hiding everything in drawers, he must expose himself in his art or else he wouldn't care if other people saw it."  
  
"Ready to eat?" Draco asked as he washed his hands in the sink.  
  
"Yep," Hermione answered as she put her shoes on. She followed Draco downstairs into the pub. They sat at a smaller table and began perusing the menu. They each ordered and sat waiting for their food to come. When it came they both slowly ate, barely speaking. After a few minutes of silence, Hermione noticed a small band had entered.  
  
"What are they?" Hermione asked as she smiled at the small men taking out instruments.  
  
"What, you've never seen Hobbits before?" Draco asked as he played with the remainder of his food.  
  
"No, what are they?" Hermione said smiling, "They look so sweet." She had to smile at the tiny men, no higher than four feet, each with shaggy curls and huge hairy feet. They all were jovial and chipper as they joked with a few customers around them.  
  
"They're from one of the hidden realms, a place called the Shire. There aren't really very many at all, they stay pretty close to home usually," Draco explained. One hobbit struck up a lively tune on a fiddle and was quickly joined by a recorder and hand drum. The last hobbit began to sing softly and sweetly to the song. A busboy came and took their plates and Draco paid him.  
  
"Anything else sir?" the busboy asked Draco.  
  
Draco glanced at Hermione repeating the question mentally. "Do you want to stay a while or head upstairs?" he asked.  
  
"I don't see why we shouldn't hang around a while longer and enjoy the excitement," Hermione answered.  
  
Draco nodded and directed the busboy, "Two butterbeers." The busboy quickly returned with their drinks. Hermione giggled a little as two couples began dancing to the music.  
  
"What's funny?" Draco asked as he took a sip.  
  
"Well, you just don't expect to see dancing like that anymore, it just seems so old fashioned," Hermione said as the couples swung and hopped around in a circle.  
  
"What kind of dancing do you do?" Draco asked.  
  
"Muggles dance... erm... more sexually than this," Hermione said uneasily. Draco's eyes went up in shock.  
  
"Like how?" he asked. Hermione shook her head nervously.  
  
"Well, they just kind of... grind and freak, you know?" she asked.  
  
"No, I don't," Draco said, enjoying her discomfort.  
  
"Everyone is just pretty much in a large crowd dry-humping each other," Hermione said quickly. Draco almost choked on his drink. He quickly wiped his mouth, still astonished.  
  
"WHAT?" he yelped.  
  
"Yeah, they just sort of rub up against each other," Hermione said. Draco was still in shock.  
  
"And no one cares that they are 'grinding and freaking' complete strangers?" Draco asked.  
  
Hermione shook her head, "Not really..." Draco just shook his head.  
  
"I'll take our dancing any day over muggle dancing!" he said. However, he stopped and thought for a second, "Well, there might be a few instances where I'd try it, I'd just have to have the right partner to rub up against," Draco said winking at Hermione.  
  
"OH COME OFF IT!" she exclaimed with a half grin on her face. She swigged the rest of her butterbeer and Draco followed suit.  
  
"You've never muggle danced before have you?" Draco asked quizzically, "I mean, you wouldn't ever..."  
  
Hermione grinned at his mischievously, "When in Rome..." He stared at her, his mouth agape, but quickly regained himself.  
  
"Well, let's try it the right way," he said as he stood and grabbed her hand. He dragged her out into the open space where several couples were now dancing.  
  
"Draco no!" Hermione persisted, jerking her hand out of this and attempting to escape to the stairs.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed as the song finished. He grabbed her around the waist as a particularly fast song began. He took her front hand and attempted to swing her around to face the dance floor.  
  
"Draco no! This is humiliating!" Hermione growled as she tried to escape his grip to no avail. She looked up and saw that a few of the hobbits had started laughing at them. Hermione frowned and looked down, "They're laughing at me!" she growled to Draco.  
  
Draco leaned in her ear and whispered, "No, they're probably laughing at me because you won't dance with me. If anyone looks like a fool it's me, I can't even get a girl to dance with me." Hermione looked at Draco annoyed as he placed a pouty face on.  
  
"Well, here, let me borrow his violin then I'll play a sad song for you," Hermione teased.  
  
"Or you could just dance!" Draco said with a smirk as he pushed his way onto the dance floor and began leading Hermione around in the circle. Hermione's cheeks turned bright red at this. She felt like an idiot. She looked up and saw all the other couples laughing and cheering as they jigged around the dance floor. "Just watch my feet," she heard Draco say in her ear. She stared at the floor and watched his feet weave a pattern.  
  
"Front, side, Front, slide, Front, side, Front, slide," she thought to herself as she followed Draco's feet. She stumbled for a minute or two, but then basically picked it up and began to flow with him. She looked up and glanced around as she realized they were dancing just like the other couples. A small laugh escaped her lips as they whirled and danced for several minutes. Draco even twirled her a couple of times after she had gotten the hang of each dance.  
  
When they were both completely out of breath, they tripped off to the side, both laughing and wiping sweat of their foreheads.  
  
"Well, that is certainly a change from muggle dancing!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Not that you'd know or anything," Draco teased.  
  
"No, of course not," Hermione said suspiciously as she averted his eyes.  
  
"One more dance?" Draco asked, offering his hand. Hermione nodded and went back onto the dance floor. Draco sadly let his vacant hand drop. Once out there, Draco gripped her waist and Hermione took his hand, both ready for another dizzy round. Instead; however, the pace changed. A slower song began and the violin sang softly, followed by a singer's gentle tenor voice. Hermione looked into Draco's eyes, wondering if slow dancing was the same for wizards. Somewhat, she discovered. Draco moved closer to her, knowing what to do. His hand on her waist wrapped around her and his arm reached across her lower back. With his free arm he held her hand stiffly out to the side. He slowly relaxed his grip and raised their arms up and then even with their heads. Once there, he pushed against her hand and Hermione gently spun. Hermione glanced over and saw that the other couples were doing the same. After a few rounds, Hermione relaxed, knowing the dance and gracefully spun and twirled. Draco's face was somber when she looked at it.  
  
He was thinking about something. But what? He was thinking about her, but his thoughts were hard for her to decipher, he was keeping his thoughts cloudy. He wanted to tell her something, but didn't know how to do it.  
  
Draco leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Don't pry into my mind. If I can feel you in my head then you're obviously trying to hard."  
  
Hermione looked down, she'd been caught. She didn't mean to pry, it just sort of happened whenever she touched people, especially Draco.  
  
"It feels so good to dance again," Hermione said softly. Draco nodded lightly. "It's nice to have a dance partner..." she began, but quickly stopped herself.  
  
"What?" Draco asked.  
  
"Nothing," she lied. She had suddenly remembered her most treasured object, hidden in her chest back at Malfoy Manor. If only her parents could see her now. Even after her family and home were gone, she still found a reason to dance. Not to dance at recitals for her neighbors, or dance at weddings with her family, but just to dance. To dance and let your body express what words cannot.  
  
"Ready?" Draco asked from far away. Hermione looked back up and realized the song had just finished. She nodded and they made their way to the stairs. She longed to stay there and dance till the stars disappeared, but she went upstairs instead.  
  
When they reached their room, they both changed into their clothes for the night. Hermione ran her fingers through her shiny brilliant hair and smiled. After she had brushed her teeth and changed into a black wife beater and satin pajama pants she slowly began throwing decorative pillows off the bed.  
  
"Hermione," she heard Draco say softly. She glanced up and saw that he was leaning against the wall. "Do you trust me?" he asked.  
  
Hermione stared at him for a minute. "No, I don't," she answered.  
  
"What not?" he asked.  
  
"Honestly? Because you've given me no real reason to trust you. You've bought me things and we've had fun, but you haven't done anything that has convinced me that this all isn't some act. That you aren't going to change back into the Draco Malfoy I've known for the past six years at school," she answered truthfully.  
  
He held up a small clear crystal vial. "Do you know what this is?" he asked as he sat next to her on the bed. Hermione shook her head. "It's Veritaserum," he answered, "If I take it, everything I say is the absolute truth until the sun rises."  
  
"What do you need it for?" Hermione whispered. Her mind was racing. He was going to make her take it, then he'd ask her questions about everything, her family, her friends, the Order, herself. She couldn't fight him off if she was twice as strong, he'd still overpower her easily.  
  
She glared at him, ready to do battle.  
  
"I'm going to take it," Draco answered. Without a word, he quickly downed the vial. He looked up at Hermione who just stared back at him in complete shock. Draco breathed heavily as he felt the potion begin to take effect on him. His mind became crystal clear as every truth about him was opened.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Hermione whispered.  
  
"This is the only way I can convince you I am sincere. Like you said, you won't trust me till I trust you. I'm allowing you to learn anything you want about me and my life," he answered softly, "I'm trusting you." Hermione looked down at the bed. "Ask away," he said.  
  
"Why do you hate muggle-borns? Why did you torment me because I'm a mudblood?" she asked, looking him square in the face.  
  
"I despise muggles and their way of life. They use up everything they find and throw it away without a second chance. Muggles think they are the masters of this world simply because they are the smartest animals. I hate their arrogance. They've killed thousands of our kind over the centuries because they realized they weren't all-powerful," Draco responded.  
  
"You didn't answer the rest of my question, why did you torture me?" she asked, frowning.  
  
"When I see a muggle-born, I think of just that. Muggle-arrogance, disrespect for the earth, its creatures, and even their own kind," he answered.  
  
Hermione analyzed his answer for a moment, and then asked, "Are you arrogant Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"Yes, I just might be," he said.  
  
"Then isn't your hatred of muggles somewhat hypocritical?" she asked.  
  
"I'm a different kind of arrogant," Draco said. Hermione scoffed. He continued, "There's a difference in being arrogant at school because you know the answer before the teacher asks the question and being arrogant because nothing can stop you, so you decide to take what you want and leave behind what isn't valuable."  
  
"What about being a pureblood? Don't you think you have the same mentality of muggles?" Hermione questioned.  
  
Draco stared at her for a second, then asked, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, purebloods, like your family seem to think they are the highest and mightiest on all the earth simply because you have the most money, the most magic, and the most history. Who made you God?" Hermione snapped. Draco looked down in either shame or thought, Hermione couldn't tell.  
  
"We are proud or our heritage," he answered.  
  
"Well I'm proud of mine," Hermione answered. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.  
  
"Is there some secret plot in CLAW to bring Voldemort back to power?" she asked bluntly. She looked over at the shocked Draco. "Answer me," she ordered.  
  
"Yes," he said quietly.  
  
"I knew it! This is all some scheme your father is planning to bring Voldemort back!" Hermione said, excited at her discovery. "What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Some members of CLAW, not just my father, are planning on reinstating his magic once we are in Eden. Magic will be spreading and covering the alternate world for the few hours after the spell, so some of it can easily be concentrated in the form he has right now, bringing his completely back to life and fully energized again," Draco said painfully.  
  
"And you've known this all along!?" Hermione pressed.  
  
"Yes," he answered.  
  
"And you were going to help them accomplish this?" she asked knowingly.  
  
"No," he replied. Hermione sat up and stared at him in shock. He couldn't lie.  
  
"You were planning something though, I've felt it," she asked, getting closer to him.  
  
"Yes," he answered.  
  
"What?" she pried.  
  
"I'm going to stop his from being taken to the alternate world," Draco whispered. Hermione gaped at him, her mouth open. Draco? Plotting against Voldemort? Why?  
  
"How?" she asked.  
  
"His potion," Draco began, "I'm going to switch it with another."  
  
"What potion?" Hermione demanded.  
  
"A time travel potion, it will transport him to the future. By the time he returns to the present, it will be too late, he'll be trapped in the muggle world," Draco explained, looking into Hermione's eyes.  
  
"But why can't he come back before he takes it and stop himself?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Because, the spell we will use for the return will be absolute. All magic in this world will be transferred to Eden when we say it. The timelines will split, then there will be no way he can ever get to our world because he will be in a separate timeline," Draco answered.  
  
"What if he thinks of a way though, I mean, he is extremely powerful," Hermione said, worried.  
  
"It won't matter. ALL magic will be on our plane; none will be left on this world, including what magic Voldemort might possess. If he does come back, we'll be gone. It will be as if our world never existed here. His magic will be gone, he will be mortal... muggle," Draco explained.  
  
Hermione smiled a little, "what a cruel fate. The man who hated muggles so much he tried to exterminate them will become a muggle." Draco nodded. "So he'll be left here, with the war going on?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes," Draco said, "Misery loves company."  
  
Hermione thought for a few minutes, racking her brains to see if there was anything else she wanted to ask Draco about CLAW. She decided there wasn't, so she decided to switch subjects.  
  
"Why have you been getting so fresh with me?" she asked.  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, you know what I mean. First you put your arm around my waist, you dance with me, not to mention I woke up twice with you cuddling me," Hermione said.  
  
"My my Granger, how do you know it wasn't you cuddling me?" he teased.  
  
"Answer me," Hermione mocked, knowing he had to answer.  
  
He moved on the bed and leaned in close to her. "You know why," he whispered, looking into her eyes. He reached up and ran his fingers along her jaw line. "I like to be near you," he said softly. He gave her a small smirk. Hermione knew he wasn't lying, he couldn't. She decided to test him. She reached up and wrapped her hand lightly around the side of his neck, letting her thumb rest on his cheek, stroking it softly. She looked deeply into his eyes and could sense his heart racing. His breathing had sped up, though he tried to conceal it. "Now who's getting fresh with who?" he teased. She smiled a little, but let her hand remain where it was.  
  
"One more question," she said.  
  
"Shoot," he said, with a smile.  
  
"When you said you loved me at the Manor, did you mean it?" she asked.  
  
Smiling again, he reached up and placed his hand on top of hers. Gazing into her eyes he answered, "I am under the most powerful truth serum in world and there is no way this could be a lie, you have to know that. Hermione, I know I've been scum to you for six years, and for the past years the feeling has been mutual. But when I saved you that day, when I saw what you had been through, my racist attitude towards you and muggle- borns changed. You are people too with lives, pain, and love. After I reflected on who you were as a person, not a name, I realized that so much of my hatred had been envy."  
  
"Answer me!" Hermione demanded, tears welling in her eyes.  
  
He continued to stare at her, "When I'm around you I feel that happiest I've ever felt. I'm not ashamed when I smile or laugh around you and I've never felt that way ever. You make me feel... not so alone in this world." A tear glazed Hermione's cheek, but he quickly wiped it away.  
  
He finished, "I love you." Upon saying this, Draco slowly leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She let his lips reside on hers for a few seconds. She felt his love. He had been alone all his life. No one had ever understood who he was as a person, until Hermione. He had been completely alone just as she had been for the past two months. Whenever he saw her he felt overwhelming joy and wanted to sweep her away where they could be together forever, to Eden.  
  
Hermione pulled away from their kiss. She let her hand fall as she stood up. Draco reached out and took it again, but she only let it slip out of his hold. Standing out on the balcony, she stared up at the night sky.  
  
"Hermione," she heard him whisper from behind her as he stood behind her.  
  
"I can't," she whispered sharply.  
  
"Hermione please," he tried again as he turned her and held her in his arms. "Please Hermione, please!" he begged loudly.  
  
Tears rushed down Hermione's cheeks, "I can't!" she replied a little louder.  
  
"Why not!?" He yelled in exasperation as he looked around, avoiding her eyes. "Hermione, why?" he whimpered. She felt a warm tear fall on her shoulder and it wasn't one of hers. He was crying. She felt his anguish. His soul was weeping, he had found the one person that could make him happy and now she denied him. He knew she wanted him, that she had hidden love for him too, but suppressed it with irrelevant logic. "I love you, I love you, why doesn't that change anything. I've done so much for you and I will sacrifice so much more, just don't leave me alone in this world," he pleaded.  
  
Hermione shook her head as tears dripped off her face. "I can't.... We...we can't," she stammered shaking her head in uncertainty.  
  
"Is one degree of uncertainty reason enough to deny your heart and mine?" he asked, placing his hand on her face.  
  
"I don't know, this is just too much. I need... I need time, too much is happening. Everyone died, I lived, I'm here, you're here, I see other's minds, I love you, I hate you, I just... I can't take it all!" she cried. She fell against Draco's chest sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her and let her rest there, her tears dampening his white undershirt. They stayed there for a few minutes completely silent. Draco stroked her hair and back as she wept. He gradually led her into the room and mixed her a quick sleeping potion. They set on the bed after that; Hermione leaning on Draco's shoulder while he wrapped one arm around her waist.  
  
"Everything's going to be okay," he reassured her. She closed her eyes for a few seconds as the potion began to set in. She opened them again and looked down. Draco slowly lowered her down and pulled the covers over her body. "You are amazing," he told her as she began drifting off.  
  
"Liar," she mumbled as she fell into deep slumber. He watched her deep steady breathing for a while then stood and returned to the balcony. He watched the stars fade and watched as the black horizon slowly turned to invigorating hughes of pink and orange. 


	14. Family Found

Disclaimer: I own jack.  
  
A/N:Back in action folks! Sorry guys, but I've been pretty friggin sick for the past week and a half but made my way back to my keyboard today and wrote this lil piece. I like it a lot, it lets out a lot of info I've been dying to spill about Hermione's empath ability and this let me finally reveal it to ya! Enjoy!  
  
Thanks to my reviewers, you are small in number, but big in my heart (  
  
(hint hint everyone else...)  
  
"Wakey wakey, eggs and bacey," Hermione heard someone saying distantly. She mumbled something under her breath, and then sat up. She rubbed her eyes for a second and yawned. When she finally looked up she saw that Draco was standing by the bed with a tray.  
  
"Here, brunch," he said, resting the tray on her lap. Hermione looked down at its contents, an egg platter with a bagel. She began to munch away at her food. She glanced over at the clock. "10:45, wow, I slept in," she thought to herself, "I'm not going to mention anything about last night, maybe he'll just let it lie." "Everything's packed," he said, "We need to leave soon." Hermione glanced up at him over her bagel. He was wearing the same pajama bottoms from last night and a grey sweatshirt that said "Malfoy Quidditch Co. 1776."  
  
"Your family's in Quidditch?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yep, specialized robes and brooms," he answered.  
  
"I always wondered what your father did," Hermione said.  
  
"Oh, well, he does quite a lot. We own several businesses and are deeply rooted in numerous organizations," Draco said with considerate pride.  
  
"What did your folks do?" he asked.  
  
"They were dentists. Both specialized in dental surgery," Hermione answered.  
  
"Do dentists make a lot of money?" Draco continued.  
  
"Well, I don't see why that matters, but yes, they do," Hermione snapped.  
  
"Just asking," Draco said defensively.  
  
He stood up and moved a few bags around, passing the time.  
  
When Hermione had finished eating she quickly dressed and began packing her things. After an awkward silence of a little over and eternity Hermione announced, "Done!" Draco nodded at her and led them downstairs. He paid the inn manager at the bar and they took their porkey back to the manor. Their bags followed by floo, brought by several nervous looking elves. Many of the manor's elves swarmed the bags of new clothes and school things and dispersed the relocate them.  
  
Hermione sighed. She didn't remember the way to her room! Maybe she could ask one of the elves to lead her, but the Malfoy elves were obviously used to being illusive, you barely saw any of them. She didn't want to ask Draco for help. She just wanted to be alone for the first time in a few days. She had to sort out everything. She began walking, up several flights of stairs, turning down aimless corridors and hallways. Paintings glared and smirked at her as she passed, confused. Draco had headed immediately to his room on his carpet.  
  
Wandering, Hermione took another left and up a few more flights of stairs. She had lost count as to how many stories up she was. She was so frustrated, so angry at the world. So pent up with emotion and fatigue at living that she couldn't contain it anymore now that she had let it surface. Images flashed in her eyes, explosions, hiding, screaming. Then childhood memories, old dance recitals, school events, Christmases and Easters.  
  
She began running, as fast as her body would take her. She ran down halls and up stairs. Across bridges and through rooms, her hair whipping behind her. The only sound she heard other than her feet hitting the stone floors was the whisper of the paintings behind her. Her breath eluded her now, she still ran, panting and gasping for air, her calves aching from the abuse. She forced an ancient cedar door open and fell into a listless room, long forgotten. It seemed to be something of a bedroom, but the furniture was covered with dust and cobwebs. The walls were peeling and a thin scent of days long ago hit her nostrils.  
  
Slowly, Hermione's feet treaded softly across the carpet. An old French door at the other end of the room led her onto a balcony. Hermione exhaled for the first time in seemingly hours as she leaned against the banister and looked out at the grey late August day. She was at the top of one of the towers in the manor. From her view, she could see farther than she had ever seen, even at Hogwart's. The land behind Malfoy Manor was enchanting. Lush gardens lay directly below her around the edges of the castle. Lush fields extended for what seemed like a mile outside the stonewall surrounding the manor. What sunlight there was streamed through the clouds to the south, making great rays of heaven shine down on a sparkling lake. After that, an ancient forest stretched for as far as the eye could see into the craggy mountains to the west.  
  
Hermione smiled her most genuine smile in months. A few tears fell from her eyes as she closed them and let the cool breeze waft her face and carry her hair off her shoulders. As she memorized every speck of the horizon, she thought to herself. "What is a world if it can not be adored? What is the use in having a home if you do not know it? How can people not grasp this... this... beauty that is the world? Every fiber of it created for each individual and their consciousness of the universe. Why does one world control that universe with incantations and potions, while the other only destroys theirs? Is there no way to just, exist? I don't want to be a muggle who fights for power and destroys the world, but I don't want to be a witch who controls the forces of the world. Why can't I just be Hermione? Why can't I just exist?"  
  
The sun was slowly descending into the mountains. Hughes or pink and yellow shimmered off Hermione as she filled the sky with her thoughts. "If I could say a spell and be here for an eternity, I'd do it in a heartbeat." She whispered to the rising moon.  
  
"Master Draco sir, Reeny is so sorry to tells you this sir, but Miss Hermione is missing sir," the terrified house elf squeaked. The book Draco was reading snapped shut as he set it down in anger.  
  
"What do you mean missing?" Draco roared. He stood up and grabbed a pair of shoes.  
  
"Well sir, no one has seen her since she arrived, she left the grand hall and no ones seen her since," the elf said, now cowering in fear.  
  
"Inform all the house elves to begin searching the manor, I want every room searched!" Draco ordered as he left and began storming down the hall. "You!" he yelled to a nearby picture of a man riding a horse, "Tell all the paintings Hermione is missing, I want anyone who saw where she went to report to me!"  
  
Draco continued to ramble down the hallway, fuming.  
  
"Mother," he said harshly as he found Persephone in his parent's chambers, "Hermione is missing."  
  
"What?" she asked, astonished as she stood from the chair where she had been sewing.  
  
"No one's seen her since our arrival earlier today," Draco strained.  
  
"Oh, okay, calm down Blitzen, she's around here somewhere. Calm down, we'll find her, she probably just got lost," Persephone cooed. Draco nodded and laughed a little, he could imagine Hermione wandering aimlessly around the castle, and frustrated at not knowing where she was.  
  
"I'm going to start searching the lower levels," Draco said as he left quickly. Persephone slowly put on her shoes and a silk bathrobe and exited the room into the hallway. She smoothly made her way up a few levels. She asked the portraits along the way if they'd seen Hermione. Eventually, one said yes.  
  
"I saw her, yes I did, I saw her myself! She came running by like the wind headed every which way!" said a portrait of Draco's cousin Ramsey when he was about 7. Persephone nodded and began to follow the paintings directions. After a little over an hour of walking, Persephone came to the room Hermione had entered. She silently nudged the door open.  
  
Moonlight streamed into the abandoned room. A soft breeze lifted Persephone's hair from the balcony door that had been left open. And there, fast asleep on the dusty bed was Hermione. Persephone adventured a little further and leaned herself gently onto the bed. She looked down at the young woman who had survived so much. War, death, and change had all lined her face when they had met before, but something was different about the young empathy now. The soft moonlight glow on her face reflected a divine peacefulness. It seemed her soul had found serenity in this lost room of the manor.  
  
Persephone rested her hand on Hermione's shoulder and gently shook her.  
  
"Hermione," she whispered. Hermione awoke silently and looked up. Her honey-brown eyes met with Persephone's ocean blue eyes. "Come on, let's go," Persephone said as she stood. Hermione slid out of the bed and followed her out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She glanced back as if to memorize which door it was so she might return there someday and see her perfect world again. They walked for a ways before Persephone finally spoke.  
  
"No one knew where you were. We were worried," Persephone said.  
  
"I didn't want anyone to know where I was. I needed to be with myself for a while," Hermione explained.  
  
"I understand," Persephone responded, "Well, did you tell yourself anything?"  
  
"In a way, I guess so," Hermione said, with a soft smile.  
  
"You seem different, more tranquil, more in-control," Persephone added. Hermione nodded. "Have you made your peace?"  
  
"You know what? I think I just may have," Hermione said softly.  
  
"It is a crazy time, and a crazy age," Persephone explained, "You've seen a lot. It takes time to corporate what you've experienced, believe me."  
  
"How's that? What do you mean?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh well, we've both seen our fair share of war and death at a young age. We both know what it feels like to be caught on the losing side," Persephone said.  
  
Hermione did understand. They had both seen war a death, Persephone's was just years back, the war with Voldemort. Hermione had known all along that Persephone had been on Voldemort's side and lost, but maybe she was trying to say that it hadn't been her choice to join that side, she probably just had to follow Lucius. Hey, no one had signed her up for the side she had to take in the muggle war, it was just a given.  
  
"So, Draco tells me you used to be a nurse," Hermione said, changing the subject.  
  
"Why yes, I did," Persephone said with a smile. "I was a nurse in a private hospital. I met Lucius when he was there one time after he got in a particularly bad scrape. After that, we courted for a few months and then got married."  
  
"Did you know each other at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh no, we went at different times. Lucius is 10 years older for me, so we had never met," she explained.  
  
"I see, were you a Slytherin?" Hermione inquired.  
  
"No, I was actually in Ravenclaw. I'm sure Slytherin was a close second for me. I'm from a proud pureblood family, but I guess I was more fit for one than the other," Persephone answered.  
  
"I believe it was the same with me," Hermione said.  
  
"Why's that?" Persephone asked.  
  
"Well, I'm smarter and when I was being sorted the hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw at first, but changed its mind and put me in Gryffindor at the last minute," Hermione said.  
  
"Oh, well, you possess many good qualities my dear. You could easily have been put in any of the four houses and have excelled there," Persephone said.  
  
"Well, all but Slytherin of course," Hermione said with a chuckle.  
  
"Why not Slytherin?" Persephone queried.  
  
"I'm muggle-born, which makes most Slytherins despise me altogether, imagine what it would have been like if I'd been put in their house. I'd be the scourge and the green and silver," Hermione explained.  
  
"You're not muggle-born," Persephone said simply.  
  
Hermione gawked at her, "What are you talking about? My parents were both muggle dentists."  
  
"You're an empath, empaths can only be half-bloods," Persephone said.  
  
"But, no, that's impossible. My mom and dad were muggles. Even if one of them was a witch or wizard and never told me, they would have done magic during the war, they could have saved themselves, they would have tried to save my brothers and me," Hermione defended.  
  
"Well, perhaps the mother and father you had were both muggles, but maybe your genetic father or mother was a wizard or witch," Persephone said.  
  
"So you're saying one of my parents had an affair, well, it would have to have been my mother, I think my mom would have noticed if a baby appeared in the house," Hermione said, halfway to herself.  
  
"Must have been," Persephone murmured.  
  
"But why, she and my dad were in love! She wouldn't have cheated on him for anything! Much less lied about it," Hermione shouted.  
  
"Everyone makes mistakes my dear, an affair can happen so quickly and easily and be just as easily forgotten when no one knew. If she did have an affair, and the man had been a wizard, then you'd be half-blood," Persephone said.  
  
"Just great, finally, when I figure everything out, something else has to come along and mess it up!" Hermione snapped.  
  
"Sweet Hermione, did you love your father?" Persephone asked.  
  
"Yes," Hermione said easily.  
  
"Did you love your mother?" Persephone continued.  
  
"Yes," Hermione answered, even more easily.  
  
"Then that is all that is needed to be known. Your birth father is just a man, just a name. You had your parents, they loved you, and you loved them. There is no need for any overcomplicating. It's as simple as that," Persephone said.  
  
Hermione nodded, "You're right. But is there any way to know who he is, just so I can no who he was, get a Christmas card out of him or something?"  
  
Persephone smiled. "Yes, there's a way," she said, "I'll show you."  
  
They came up to Hermione's room. "Oh, here it is," Hermione joked.  
  
"Yes, the manor is quite a maze, took me years to just be able to get to the dining room by myself. That's why I like the carpets so much," Persephone said with a smile.  
  
"Georgio Armani," Hermione told the astronomy witch.  
  
"Glad to see you're back miss, we thought one of the guard monsters had gotten you!" the astronomy witch said.  
  
Hermione's eyebrows raised, "guard monster," she whimpered.  
  
Persephone started laughing, "Guard monsters, oh she's just joking dear," Persephone said as she nudged Hermione into the room.  
  
"Oh, right," Hermione said with a fake laugh as she entered, only she didn't catch Persephone making a motion that looked a lot like a knife and a throat to the painting as it closed. The astronomy witch's eyes grew large and she dove back into her calculations, not daring to look back.  
  
"Okay, so you want to know who your birth father is," Persephone said as they entered. She took off her silk robe and hung it on the back of a chair, revealing a matching powder blue silk nightgown that hung to her feet. Two thin spaghetti straps on her shoulders held it up. Persephone was deathly pale, but had a nice figure. She could have been a model, Hermione observed.  
  
Going over to the now unpacked bags, Persephone retrieved Hermione's potions materials. She grabbed a cauldron and started heating it over the fire and began tossing ingredients in a cutting and shaving a few roots. Persephone explained the potion to the ever-curious Hermione. When these have begun to boil, you will have to cut yourself and let blood fall in the potion for 10 seconds. After that it will be ready. We then dip a quill in it and the quill will write the name of your father. If you'd like to see him, we can pour it over a crystal ball and his face will appear. Hermione nodded and took the letter opener Persephone had handed her. When the potion was bubbling, Hermione held her breath and sliced open a small part of her left arm. She watched as a thin stream of blood drizzled into the orange potion. After 10 seconds, she pulled it away and wrapped a thin bandage around it. The potion turned to a thick black substance and then shrunk in size. Persephone dipped a quill into the ink like potion and handed it to Hermione. Hermione took it and placed it on a piece of parchment. "Here we go," she thought. The quill flicked quickly as it wrote out her father's name.  
  
"Antonin Dolohov," appeared on the parchment.  
  
"Would you like to see what he looks like?" Persephone asked as she recognized the name.  
  
"No need, I already know what he looks like," Hermione said stiffly, "He tried to kill me."  
  
Persephone didn't respond, she knew the man and knew what he was capable of doing. Capable of killing his own daughter. 


	15. Lived, Loved, Lost

Disclaimer: I own Jack.

A/N Yes yes yes, I know that Draco's mother's name is Narcissa, I HAVE read the books too, but hey, if people are allowed to change Blaise Zabini's gender without anyone caring, can I pulease be allowed a little artistic liscense? Read up on the myth about Persephone and Hades, I thought it was fitting for Draco's mother.

Thanks to the reviewers. Good luck with school guys, I'm finally a big senior! Yeah!

Hermione woke slowly the next day. She pulled the bed curtains away and softly padded across the floor. She slipped on a robe and poured herself a cup of coffee from the tray that had been left for her by a servant. She walked back across the room and pulled the drapes aside from one of the windows and glanced out the window. She had a view of the other side of the manor, intricate gardens leading all the way to the front gate a ways down the hill the mansion sat atop of.

Leisurely sipping her coffee she watched as Draco exited the front door. He was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt as he began to jog down the hill in the early hours of the morning. A light fog had crept in and Hermione quickly lost sight of him as he continued down the path. It appeared quite cool outside for late August, so she decided to take an early morning stroll. She pulled on one of her favorite sweaters, an oversized black acrylic one that had been her mother's (she had rescued it from the clutches of the elves throwing away her old clothes.).

She made her way down the few flights of stairs and out the front door. Her slippers crunched on the gravel below as she walked a ways down the main path, then turned into one of the garden paths. The sun was streaking colors high above now as it welcomed in the official last day of summer. Tomorrow she and Draco would head into the city to catch the Hogwart's express.

Hermione moved slowly down the winding paths between overgrown mimosa trees and flower bushes. She admired the tropical flowers that somehow magically grew in the temperate climate of the manor. After walking a few more paths, she connected with the main drive once more and made her way back up to the manor. She rested on the first step leading up to the door and finished her coffee as she watched the end of the sunrise.

Stopping suddenly, she realized she heard footsteps approaching quickly. She glanced down and saw Draco's form emerging from the fog, which was quickly burning away in the sunlight. He stopped when he reached the circle drive around the fountain in front. He stared at her as he approached.

"You're up early," he said as he took a seat next to her.

"Looks like I'm finally caught up on my sleep, I'm back on my normal schedule now," she responded, watching the sky. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him wipe sweat off his forehead.

"Do you run every morning?" Hermione inquired.

He nodded, "Must keep in shape."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm not a mudblood you know," Hermione said, shattering the silence.

"Oh, you're not are you?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Your mother told me that empaths can only be half-bloods. We made a potion that told me who my real father is," Hermione explained.

"Who is he?" Draco asked.

"A death eater who's locked up in Azkaban for the rest of his life," Hermione said bluntly. Draco turned and stared at her. She met his gaze.

"I see," he said softly, "So, you'll never know him?"

"Oh, I know him. During 5th year, in the Department of Mysteries, he was there. He was one of the escaped death eaters. He almost killed me," Hermione said.

"Welcome to the world of pure-blood families," Draco said with a hint of humor.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"Everything is so complicated. So and so tried to kill his kid who is pregnant with his nephew who was actually switched at birth and now has an evil twin trying to kill them and steal their husband who's actually a long-lost brother," Draco teased, "It's all like some big soap opera of cousins and family grudges. Just be glad you're only half, when you're whole it takes a whole lot of memory to know who's family, foe, or banished."

Hermione smiled, "I'll keep that in mind."

"So are you ready to return to school?" Draco changed the subject.

"Yes, I think I am. I'm ready to see my friends again and get back to classes," Hermione answered, "You?"

"Well, I guess, I just have so much CLAW stuff to keep up with along with classes, I'll have to be careful not to fall behind," Draco explained.

"If you need some help with school stuff, I'll lend you a hand. Just ask and I'll help you catch up," Hermione said easily.

"Really?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"Really," Hermione said with a grin.

"I figured that once we were back at school you'd forget all about me and ignore me like always," Draco accused.

"Puhease! How can I ignore that ass?" Hermione kidded. Draco gave a small laugh, remembering back at the bookstore.

"I'm glad," Draco said happily, "I like your company."

Hermione nodded in agreement as they stood and went into the manor and up to the grand hall for breakfast. Her muscles immediately tensed as they entered. Lucius was back. He stood as they entered. Hermione followed Draco to the end of the table where his father was seated. He sat down and Hermione began to follow suit.

"Draco," Lucius hissed. Hermione stopped immediately, "Have you no manners? Show the lady proper courtesy."

"Of course, my apologies father," Draco said stiffly as he stood and pulled out Hermione's chair for her and pushed it in when she was seated.

"Ms. Dolohov, you deserve proper courtesy, my son is still learning what it is to be a gentleman," Lucius explained coyly.

"Please don't call me that sir," Hermione said quietly.

"Why not? You are the daughter of a once powerful and still rich man," Lucius inquired.

"My father was Jarrett Granger," Hermione said.

Lucius nodded, "I see. My wife has explained to me about your heritage, as well as your... gifts." Hermione stared at her food. "So, are you eager about the Return to Eden campaign?" Lucius asked, changing to a worse subject.

"I will do what I must when the time comes," Hermione said.

"Well, trust me my dear, the new world will be wonderful. Witches and wizards all over will no longer have to worry about keeping our world secret. New territories can be opened to already crowded magical peoples and wild animal populations can be allowed to increase. All people will be magical, so prejudice from the past can be forgotten," Lucius said proudly.

"In my eyes, almost everyone had already forgotten prejudice. Only a few still grasp it for reasons unknown," Hermione said, controlling her anger. Lucius stared at her for a moment then decided to continue.

"Have you ever heard of communism Hermione?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered.

"And what do you think about it?" he continued.

"It's a good theory, but it can never work. All communist countries became horrible. Their people died left and right because of their own actions and decision. Other countries feared them because they did not want the same government to come into power and bring about the same fate on their people," Hermione said.

"Have you ever met a communist?" he inquired.

"No," she responded softly.

"But you believe they are bad because..." he began.

"It's what I've been taught," she answered.

Lucius nodded. "It's what you've been taught," he echoed, "Hermione, until last year, I had never met a muggle. Never spoken to one. I didn't like them, why? Because my father showed me about their wars, about their atom bombs and holocausts. He showed me about rape and starvation and abortion. Now, I'm sure there are good sides to communism, but the bad easily outweighs the good. It is flawed and has died out. It served its time and now is just a memory. The muggle world is the same. It's a nice theory, but they have finally looped around and are now destroying themselves, it's only a matter of time. They've had their era, we need to get out while we still can because we deserve to live on, we've made our world apart from theirs and it works, unlike theirs, its time for our dominion."

Hermione stared at him. What he said could be true, but everything sounds like it could be true. "Mr. Malfoy," Hermione began, "Have you ever been in love?" He looked at her for a minute, and then nodded. "Do you agree people suffer because of love?" He nodded again. "Near the end of every life, their husband or wife will die and they experience intense pain for the rest of their life knowing the one they loved is gone forever. People fall in love everyday, and then one person decides they aren't in love anymore, then breaks it off and the other is crushed for months. People love each other, but people die. Love probably causes more pain than good in many ways, but people aren't going to stop loving. People won't just have a vote one day and decided to stop loving each other because it doesn't seem to work."

"Well put," Lucius said after a minute, "But you must understand, muggles are failing. They've lived and loved and now are lost." He stood and left the room. Hermione slammed her fist on the table after the door closed, making a nearby glass shatter.

"Hey, hey, calm down," Draco said placing his hand on Hermione's back.

"How dare he!" she hissed, "Calling me Dolohov, what nerve!"

"It's our last day here. Just calm down, you'll live," Draco said. She looked at him and shook her head. They stood to leave.

"Dolohov, what nerve," Hermione muttered under her breathe. Draco walked her back to her room, talking to her about several random subjects to get her mind off his father. It worked. Back in her room, Draco sat on the bed and watched as she packed up the remainder of her things. Elves appeared and left with the trunk once it was packed.

"Wanna help me pack?" he asked as she sat down. She nodded and they left the room together down toward his room. Once inside she sat on the couch as he stacked several books to go in his trunk. They shrunk once inside. (A/N Come on! All the things you need for one year couldn't fit in one trunk, those crafty wizards shrink everything) Hermione examined his room as he continued to pack. She eventually came to the curtain he had told her to stay away from.

"May I enter?" she asked him. He looked up at her from where he had lain out several sets of clothes on his bed. He looked down for a minute, and then shrugged his shoulders.

"If you feel you must," he said, turning back to his clothing. Hermione grinned. She pulled back the curtain and looked inside. A small desk stood in the middle covered with carefully organized paint bottles. Several brushes littered the floor along with blank canvases stacked together. She slowly began to examine his work.

The first painting she came to had barely been begun. It was a slight outline of a horse with a beach in the background. She went to the next one. It was a pretty realistic replica of a Hogwart's classroom, complete with students hard at work. She noticed that a few of them turned pages, while one in the back kept throwing paper wads at a girl in front. He had enchanted his paintings! She looked back at the table of paints and found a special bottle with a spell written on the label. An artist would coat the painting with the enchanted paint, then recite a spell, then the paintings would come to life. She noticed another painting in the back with a sheet draped over it. She noticed freshly opened paint around it and figured it was what he was working on at the moment.

Hermione gasped after she pulled off the sheet. "It's turning out quite nicely," she heard Draco say behind her. She whipped around and saw him standing by the curtain, with a certain smirk. "It's almost done, just a few more shadow effects and it'll be perfect," he said.

"What made you want to paint me?" Hermione asked as she examined the almost exact copy of herself.

"I paint what I think about, lately, I've been thinking about you," Draco said.

"It's lovely," Hermione said. The painting was miraculous. In the painting she was sitting in a chair, leaning on a desk to her left thumbing through a book, small smile on her face.

"Thanks," Draco said as he turned and left. She placed the sheet back over the painting and followed him into his room. He shut his trunk and let a servant quickly retrieve it. He rested on his bed and looked at Hermione where she leaned against the wall.

"What now?" he asked.

"Well, I'm going to grab something to eat, then read a book," Hermione responded as she turned to leave. He watched her leave. As the entryway clicked shut, he fell back on his bed and ran his fingers through his loose hair.

"Get a hold of yourself Draco," he thought to himself. You're going crazy over her. This is your last night with her alone, don't waste it." He stood and went through the curtain. He grabbed his palette and went to work on finishing his masterpiece.

A few hours passed and Hermione finished her book. She sat on the balcony of the room she had found a few days ago and stared at the mountains. Sunset would begin in an hour or so.

Suddenly a gust of wind hit her face. She glanced in the direction where it had come from and found Draco hovering gracefully on his Firebolt 3X (a new model that had been introduced during 6th year).

"Come on," he said, wafting over to the balcony.

"WHAT?!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm not getting on that flying death trap!"

"Oh please, it's perfectly safe, plus, you're flying with the best there is so there's no need to worry," Draco said, extending a hand. Hermione glared at him.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"Trust me," he said. She rolled her eyes a little, but grabbed his hand and let him pull her onto the flying hazard. She sat in front of him where he could hold onto her in case she lost her balance. He placed one hand in front of her to steer and secured the other around her waist. She gave him an invisible glare for this, but said nothing. If it kept her from dying....

They shot off into the distance. Hermione couldn't stop the small scream that escaped her lips and trees whizzed by a hundred feet below. She heard Draco chuckle, "Don't worry, I've got you." She calmed a little at this. They flew for another forty-five minutes or so then Draco slowly began to descend. They came to rest on a secluded beach. Warm waves washed over the sand and crashed against rocks in the distance. A few seagulls flew above, searching for food to steal from them, but quickly gave up hope and left.

"What do you think?" Draco asked as Hermione looked out at the water.

"It's beautiful," Hermione said softly. The sea air breezed softly and lifted her hair off her shoulders.

"I thought you'd like it," Draco whispered. Hermione sat in the sand near the water's edge and allowed the waves to tickle her feet as the sun set directly ahead. Draco sat beside her and they watched as the sun began its slow descent into the earth, bidding farewell with brilliant streaks of red and orange glimmering off the deep blue of the ocean.

When it neared its end, the breeze picked up a little. Hermione regretted taking off her sweater and shivered a little. Draco noticed and took off his cloak, holding it around Hermione with his arm. She pulled it around her arms as he let his arm rest around her back just above her waist.

"You know your father doesn't approve of this," Hermione said as she watched the waves.

"He didn't before, but he does now," Draco said.

"Now what?" Hermione asked.

"That you're half-blood, that you're related to Dolohov," He explained.

Hermione sighed, "Just great," she said, "Why does my genetic father being a wizard change anything?"

"Well, it's like this," Draco began, "It's like you're a communist who's in love..." Hermione laughed and punched his arm.

He laughed too and rubbed his arm, "So violent!"

"You're teasing me!" Hermione accused smiling.

"No, I'd be too scared to tease the brightest witch of our age," he teased again.

"Shut up!" Hermione responded laughing, pushing him again. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her closer. Hermione caught a little of his thoughts. This was their last night together. He didn't want to screw things up again. He loved being around her and didn't want this to end.

She looked up and caught him staring into her eyes. She stared back.

"Do you believe in love Hermione Granger?" he asked softly.

"I do," she said back lightly. He nodded and smiled, making her giggle a little. She turned her head back toward the sea, but he put his hand on her cheek and turned her back to face him. She rubber her thumb on his bicep where her hand rested. "I do," she repeated. Draco gently leaned in and kissed her. Hermione ever so lightly kissed back. She listened to the roar of the sea and felt his hands as they softly stroked her neck and massaged her back.

She slowly pulled back and looked down at the sand. Draco's hand relaxed a little and she looked back into his eyes. She ran her finger up his jaw line and rested her hand there.

"I do," she said again.


	16. Return to Reality

A/N: I updated! Hallelujah! I know it has been forever, like, 8..ish months. But I'm back! I hope to have the whole story done before I leave for college in August, so please keep checking back for updates. I've got a few good chapters still left in me. Thanks to everyone who kept reviewing and to those who bugged me through email. It's nice to know that you enjoy my writing enough to bother me at home. I probably wouldn't have begun writing again if it hadn't been for you. FYI, I am horrible at French. I know Draco's mother's name is Narcissa. Please stop complaining. Nobody's perfect.

To those of you who promised me cookies, I am waiting!

Thanks for being loyal, luv you all.

Disclaimer: I own Jack.

Sighing, Hermione fiddled with her hair. Today was the day. The day when she was to finally return completely to the normality of life, as normal as wizard life goes anyways. She examined her reflection once again and decided on the final piece to her outfit. Shuffling through the top of her trunk she pulled out a gold sequin scarf and tied it firmly around her waist.

"I wouldn't wear that if I were you," a familiar voice said behind her.

"Do you always insist on slinking into other peoples' rooms?" she asked catching his eyes in the mirror.

"I do make it a habit when they are in my home," Draco replied as he approached her from the doorway of the library.

"But then again, it isn't your home is it?" Hermione teased.

"Oh, it will be someday. Hopefully not soon, but not too far away…" he wizened, "I will inherit everything you know; the manor, our fortune, our businesses…"

"Yes yes, I know you're wealthy out the wazoo, but money isn't everything is it?" Hermione snipped as she took the scarf off, "Now why can't I wear this?" She threw the scarf his way where he caught it. He rested on her bed and ran the smooth silk under his nose.

Hermione gave him a slightly disgusted look and pulled it away from him.

"Smelling my things?" She said sarcastically as she flounced on the bed next to him. He gave her a sheepish look that soon became a smirk. "So why can't I wear this?" she repeated letting the gold silk shine in the light as it slid through the air.

"It will clash," Draco said simply. Hermione gave him an annoyed look.

"No it will not. I do have decent fashion sense by the way and I know that gold does not clash whatsoever with white and blue. Hermione was wearing a lacy white top with a floor length hippie skirt with frills all around the bottom. She jingled slightly when she walked because the hip ties had small bells attached to them.

Draco gave her a small smirk. "Well it will clash with this," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet bag. He poured the contents into Hermione's hand. She gasped.

"What is this?" she exclaimed. She took the end of the silver chain and pulled it up, examining the sparking necklace. It was a simple chain, and upon closer examination Hermione realized it was made of very fine white gold. Hanging from the chain was a small round pendant. The entire out rim was a line of finely cut diamonds. In the center of the white gold circle was a single (but much larger) diamond surrounded by cream-colored pearls.

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. No one in her entire life had ever given her something this beautiful, or this expensive. The only rival was the gift from her parents.

"Draco, it's… it's…," Hermione said. He watched her with hungry eyes. "Lovely," she gasped. His entire face lit up more that she had ever thought possible of Draco Malfoy. "But too much," she added softly. His heart sank. He locked eyes with her.

"Hermione, nothing is too much for you. The Myntasiov Diamonds belong to my family and I want you to wear them," he said passionately.

"But, why? What made you want to give me this?" she asked.

"We're going back to our lives whether we want to or not. I just want to make sure that you have something. A symbol of me… of us," he answered, "Please. For me?"

Hermione gave him a look of acknowledgement. He smiled lightly again and clasped the necklace around her neck. She felt a soft pulsation sweep her body when the pendant hit her chest. She made a startled sound, thinking in the back of her mind that it was all a deception, Draco had just bewitched her!

"Don't worry, that's supposed to happen," Draco reassured her, "It's just connecting to you." Hermione stared at him with wide questioning eyes. "It's the diamond. It's connected to it's made. The Myntasiov Diamonds were found in the lost Dwarven caverns of Hestia. Merlin himself bewitched them when he first met Arthur. They allow the two whom where them to transfer sensations and feelings to the other. He did it to protect Arthur growing up so whenever he felt fear or pain Merlin would know so he could come to aid him. My family acquired them a few centuries ago, but no one has worn them," Draco explained.

"And you have…" Hermione inquired. Draco smiled again and pulled a matching pendant from beneath his shirt. He touched the gem on his. It glowed softly for a moment. Almost instantly Hermione felt hers grow pleasantly warm and she was filled with a sensation of unutterable joy. She felt what Draco was feeling at the moment. She smiled wide and let out a small laugh.

"I haven't felt this happy since before… before… well, before I went home this summer," she hastened. She ran her finger lightly over her gem. It grew hot as well, she let go immediately. She had absentmindedly let Draco catch her emotions. His face sank. Now he knew how it felt. To fell like your loneliness was an absolution. Everyone was gone. He felt her fear and terror at the thought of leaving her culture behind. He shook it off.

Taking her hand he tried to reassure her. "It's alright, with me we're lonely together. Someday it will just click and you'll be certain you'll never feel alone again," he said. Hermione nodded and stood. Draco stood and watched as she went over and locked her trunk. He waited and they left her room together. Hermione silently said goodbye to the mountains of still untouched books, mentally promising them she would return to liberate them someday. As they walked down the stairs toward the main entrance she stopped and turned to Draco. He stopped as well and waited.

"Thank you, really… Thank you. I'd never imagine anything like this," she said.

"Hermione, really it is nothing. I want to give you so much more than jewelry, and I will, I…," Draco said, but was cut off.

"No, not the necklace, but yes, thank you, it's magnificent. But thank you for everything. For saving my life, bringing me here, taking care of me. I know few people who would have done anything like this for me, especially someone who I had never been civil to anyways," Hermione babbled. Draco silenced her with a finger to her lips.

"You're welcome," he said gently. Hermione gave a small nod and they continued to the front hall.

"So, how are we getting to Platform 9 ¾ ?" Hermione asked, "Floo, portkey?"

"No, sadly because of the intense fighting that has been breaking out in London the school has had to find a completely safe and unmuggle related mode of transportation to the school. Having hundreds of young adults and families traveling through open fighting to the remains of a destroyed train station is unnecessary danger. Every student is getting personal pick-up from their homes," Draco explained.

"How convenient," Hermione said happily. She hid the small amount of sadness at this though. She was looking forward to seeing Harry, Ron, and Ginny at the station. Now she wouldn't see them till they arrived at school. "So… we're…"

"Site-to-site aided apparition," Draco replied as they waited at the base of the steps. Hermione gave him an annoyed glare. He smiled at the fact he knew something she didn't. "It's when someone who is a certified apparationist can take others along with the aid or more magic. They should arrive shortly," he explained. Hermione entertained the idea in her head. Momentarily she heard a loud crack as a rushed looking witch appeared at the front of the hall. Numerous broken pencils held her blood red hair and she wore plain grey robes and was carrying a worn book.

"Granger-Dolohov Hermione, Malfoy Draco," she called loudly and exasperated.

"Here," Draco said giving a stiff wave. They stepped onto the marble, heading for the witch when they heard her scream loudly. Hermione's head snapped up as she realized that the jeweled chandelier had come to life. The jeweled snakes fell from the chains above and encircled the witch, basilisk fangs bared and dripping. The witch screamed again in terror.

"WAIT WAIT!" Hermione cried.

"She's with me," Draco said loudly and sternly. The snakes turned at the sound of Draco's voice. "I said she's with me, now get back to your positions!" He yelled, most terrifyingly. Hermione had begun to sweat. Draco looked fierce, scary. The snakes hissed at him, but he only stared them down. The snakes gave a final hiss at the witch and quickly slithered up the walls and returned to the chandelier frozen. Hermione gulped.

"I apologize. They are part of our extensive security spell network. No one who comes into Malfoy Manor is expected to leave miss," he explained as he and Hermione made their way over to the shaken up witch.

"Yes, yes of course. You could have alerted them to my coming though," she said smartly as she yanked one of the pencils out of her hair. She scribbled something down. "Are both parties present?" she asked tonelessly. They both stared back. "Right," she said. Your things will be sent through floo by your family, servants, or hired labor," she asked. They both nodded. "Do you have the necessary consent papers for site-to-site apparition. Please mind I am a certified Apparationist, qualified for site-to-site transport of human, magical creature, plant species as well as artifacts of unjinxed history?" They nodded again. She glanced over the papers Draco had handed her. "I see Ms. Granger-Dolohov has had her papers signed by a Governor Lucius Malfoy, has this been approved by the proper authorities?" she asked.

"It has," Draco answered.

"And it's just Granger," Hermione added curtly. The witch glanced at her and scribbled something out.

"Fine fine, the witch muttered. "Please move to the specified area and prepare for relocation," she said. She pulled her wand out of the folds of her robes and quickly drew two silver circles on the floor. After mumbling a few spells at the circles she motioned for them to stand in the circles. The placed a hand on each of their backs.

Hermione felt the extreme sensation that she had to sneeze. She felt it coming and quickly shut her eyes to ensure they didn't pop out of her skull. The sneeze faded as quickly as it came; however, and she opened her eyes. They were standing on a street corner. Hermione glanced over at her party. The witch gave an exasperated wave and quickly popped away. Draco stood next to her and they glanced around.

"We're in Hogsmeade," Hermione stated. Draco agreed.

"You can't apparate into Hogwart's. Hogsmeade's what's closest and safest.

"Now what?" Hermione asked.

"Now, we wait," Draco replied, pulling out an itinerary, "It says here that all students are to meet at the train station at 8:20 for transport to the school. Currently, it is 11: 42."

"Nice," Hermione said.

"Want to get a bite to eat?" Draco asked. "I know this great little tea room just around the corner."

Hermione laughed out loud. "No, that's alright. I've heard about that certain tea room and personally I am shocked that you would try and take me there Draco Malfoy."

Draco shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying…" he joked.

"Well stop trying, I can sense you intentions mind you, even without a jewel," Hermione responded as they laughed.

"Rosmerta's sound alright then?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded. She shifted her pack. They needed to change into their robes soon.

They entered and found a table near the bar. It seemed they were one of the first groups to be brought into Hogsmeade. It was virtually empty.

" 'ello there!" Madame Rosmerta asked as she came to their table. " 'ows about some lunch?" They both nodded. "Soup de jour sound okay? It's clam chowda o peanut soup. Your choice of sandwich."

Hermione consented and asked for the chowder with a chicken sandwich. Draco declined and asked for a salad instead. She brought their food quickly with a few bottles of butterbeer. After finishing their meal they got up to leave.

As they left, Hermione couldn't help but add, "Careful with your alcohol Draco, don't want you getting all grumpy tomorrow do we?" She laughed and he gave her a menacing smirk.

"No telling anyone, or I'll spill about you," he said. Hermione consented with the wave of her hand.

"You're safe," she promised. They made their way down the lane, making a few stops in random shops. Over time, the street had begun to significantly fill up.

They were contemplating a window display when Hermione heard two very distinct voices call out her name. She whipped around and saw Ron and Harry charging towards her down the street.

"Ron! Harry!" she screeched. She broke out into a sprint two until all three met in one giant hug (A/N: warm fuzzy!).

"Mione, we've been so worried, we hadn't heard from you all summer. Especially with this muggle war, we didn't know where you'd been sent," Ron said as he hugged her again.

"Well, I spent a good while in the recovery ward of St. Mungo's, then I went to live with Draco and…" she began.

"Draco? Draco Malfoy? That ferret!" Ron exclaimed.

"This ferret paid for your friend to be nursed back to health and then helped her re-establish her life! Which is more than either of you can say. Honestly, as if you could afford so much as a band aid for her," Draco snapped.

"Hermione, is this true?" Harry asked calmly, "You went to live with Malfoy."

"Yes, she did. I'm sure she loved hearing from you two as well. Really, true friends you are, being all worried and nothing so much as an owl making sure she was still alive. That is of course, if either of you remember how to write that is," Draco shouted.

"Why on earth would you even give a second thought about Hermione, all you've ever done is try to make her miserable, I know, I was there defending her when you were being an ass for the past six years, and I'll be here for the seventh at that," Ron snarled.

"Why don't you just head off then Malfoy, we can take it from here," Harry remarked. Draco's chest puffed up severely and he was immediately in Harry's face.

"From where I was, Hermione and I were having a very good time before either of you arrived, so maybe you two should just head off, go snog or something," Draco hissed.

"How about I say something," Hermione said annoyed as she watched the entire testosterone display, hands planted firmly on her hips. Ginny had appeared beside her, obviously just in time for female support.

"Harry, Ron; Draco has been kind enough to look after me all summer after he rescued me from the rubble of my home. We have both put the past behind us and now get along just peachy. Now I don't feel like spending my entire year being a mediator to my friends. This is my first day back at Hogwart's so I suggest you all shut up and make up before I through a BF," Hermione snapped.

"What's a BF?" Ron asked Harry.

"A bitch fit," Ginny mouthed.

Hermione looked over and saw a rather triumphant look playing on Draco's mouth.

"And you," she said to Draco, "Ron, Harry, and Ginny are my best friends so you better treat them the same you treat me, or at least somewhere close." Draco gave a curt nod and began examining the brickwork of the nearest building. "RIGHT?" she howled.

"Right," all three males said in tiny voices, obviously scared of the 'angry' Hermione. Ginny smirked and gave a sisterly nod.

"Now," Hermione said, now much calmer, "I am going to find a place to change into my robes and I suggest all of us do so seeing how it is already 6 o'clock. The party nodded.

They found the post office mostly deserted and took turns changing into their school robes. As they all exited onto the street again Ron stopped and quickly turned back to Hermione.

"Where's your head girl badge?" he asked worriedly. Hermione thought for a second.

"I don't know, maybe I didn't get it," she said. The entire party laughed out loud.

"Yeah, right, you… not head girl? That's a load," laughed Ron.

"Dumbledore probably has just been too busy arranging all this and securing the school from the war that he didn't have time to contact the heads yet. In fact, I haven't even seen any prefect badges gleaming yet," Harry said. Ginny looked a little hopeful at this.

"Oy! Draco!" they heard in the distance. Glancing up, they all saw two rather husky figures making their way towards them, clearing a path of first and second years lying on the ground.

"How did you two find me?" Draco asked slowly. Obviously he was used to speaking to these two at their level.

"We've been looking for you all day. We got here at noon and have been trying to find you ever since," Crabbe said.

"Time well spent I'm sure," Draco said. They nodded.

"What you doin with this crowd?" Goyle asked, "Givin him trouble. I've been wantin to show the Wonder Twins all summer." Both the imbeciles cracked their knuckles "menacingly" and prepared for battle.

"Step down you asses," Draco ordered, "You're not to touch them. They're with me."

"With you!" Ron exclaimed, only to be quickly silenced by Ginny.

Crabbe and Goyle both nodded to Draco and just stood their, seemingly waiting for orders. The group waited in silence for a few moments.

"Do me a favor you two," Draco began. Both jumped to attention. "Go find out who the head boy and girl are and don't pester me till you know." In a flash they were both gone, to who knows where.

"Where do you think they're going?" Harry asked.

"Probably to find out what the word 'pester' means," everyone chuckled.

"I think we should go to the train station. It's getting dark," Harry said.

"Aw, is Potty afraid of the dark?" Draco teased. After receiving a death glare from Hermione he stopped and muttered a quick apology and something that sounded like "old habits die hard."

When they reached the train they milled around for a half hour or so making casual conversation with other students. Hermione and Ginny laughed with some of the other Gryffindor girls as they all compared new hair cuts, piercing, whatever. Harry and Ron started up and always fascinating Quidditch conversation near Neville while Draco struggled to get Pansy off of him nearby. Unfortunately, Hermione could not save him this time, no matter how much she wanted to squeeze his ass.

"Hermione Granger! Hermione Granger!" rang through the crowd. Professor Snape was struggling through the crowd to find Hermione.

"Yes, professor, I'm over here!" Hermione exclaimed, waving her hands frantically. Draco came to her side, followed soon by Ron and Harry.

"Ms. Granger, I need to speak with you over here," Professor Snape said shortly as they moved away from the crowd. Hermione noticed that Blaise Zabini from Slytherin had joined them.

"I'm sorry neither of you has been informed earlier than this, but with the entire war effort, we had no opportunity. I would personally like to congratulate both of you on being named Head Boy and Girl. Here are your badges. Congratulations again, this is a great honor, and so forth," he drawled. He handed both of them a badge and quickly slinked back into the crowd. Hermione looked in awe at her badge. Finally, she had tried so hard and now she was being rewarded! This was one of the best days of her life! She gripped the badge to her chest and quickly pinned it to her robes, stopping briefly to touch the diamond on her necklace to let Draco know how happy she was.

"God sakes Granger, don't have an orgasm," Blaise joked as he too pinned on his badge. Hermione gave him a glare. "Hey hey, just a joke," he said with his hands raised. "Just trying to break the ice. I know you'll do a good job and let's just help each other out this year alright?" he asked. Hermione gave him a smile in agreement. He gave her a small wave and went back to the crowd. He stopped at Draco and showed him his new badge.

"Better luck next time old pal!" he said. Draco gave him a cold stare.

"Good thing you copied off me then all these years," Draco said emotionlessly.

"Never gladder," Blaise laughed as he went back to his circle of Crabbe, Goyle, a pouting Pansy, and other Slytherins.

Draco rolled his eyes as he left. Hermione strode over to him, spilling over with joy. She laughed as she walked up. Everyone was right there to congratulate her and tell her they knew it was her all along. Draco couldn't help but smile at her happiness. He didn't even notice Harry staring right at him.

"All first years, follow me!" they heard Hagrid yell, whom they had spoken with earlier.

The smallest figures nudged quickly through the crowd, many on the verge of tears for fear or the half-giant.

The rest of the students began piling toward the carriages that were to carry them. Hermione had to stop suddenly. She gasped.

"What on earth are those?" she squealed as she saw huge, monstrous horses pulling the carriages.

"What the blazes are you talking about?" Ron asked.

Hermione felt Draco put his hands on her waist as the other stared at the carriages.

"It's okay, I'll explain them later," he said. She nodded slowly and began to walk again. The others believed she had been seeing things and began to walk again. Harry watched her, and made a note to tell her about the horses later. He realized Hermione must have had a much worse summer than she was letting off if she could see the horses only those who had seen death could see.

Ginny ran off and joined another sixth year boy from Hufflepuff whom Ron stared down for a few seconds before Harry persuaded him into the carriage. Hermione and Draco sat next to each other as the door swung shut. The carriage shifted and began bouncing its way up to the school they had all come to love. Harry and Ron both watched the first years sailing across the lake.

In the darkness the lights of the castle shone beautifully in the clear night sky. Hermione let out a happy sigh as she was welcomed home.

No one even noticed that one individual in the carriage who was happier than Hermione, wasn't even watching the castle at all.


	17. Eager to Begin Again

NOTE: This story is an AU where Dumbledore is still alive and Snape isn't evil/good yet. Just so you know, I don't really read or reply to reviews b/c it's usually people whining about how I made one minor mistake or how Draco's mom's name is Narcissa. I know, I've read the books too, but if you get off on telling someone they're wrong, go for it, but no guarantees I'll read it though. I re-wrote this chapter b/c I was sick of so many people bitching at me about how they didn't like it. Thanks to those few that offered helpful advice though ;) and for those who were actually encouraging.

"Finally! Hogwart's!" Hermione exclaimed with glee as she took a seat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

"Careful Hermione, you're starting to sound like Harry," Ron joked. They all chuckled then glanced around at the Hall's inhabitants. Friends were hugging and others were relaxing at their place on the bench. The teachers were seated at the front table. Professor McGonagall was seated next to Dumbledore, who were both speaking with Brianna Tasset, the newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Welcome everyone, to another year at Hogwarts!" Professor Dumbledore exclaimed to the students, "Now, for the sorting." Hermione and the others watched as the first years were sorted. How small they looked compared to them as seventh years. She had been that small once.

After the sorting, the Headmaster stood again for announcements.

"I am overjoyed to see that Hogwart's will once again be open to educate the young minds of the magical world, even in the direst of circumstances. The muggle war that has been escalating in past years has spread to every inch of the globe, bringing terror and unnecessary loss to our world. I want all of you to know that it is the utmost prerogative of this staff to ensure your safety in this troubled time. Members of our staff and student body are either affiliated of members of the CLAW community that are going to ensure the complete safety and transition of this school. Would they please stand?" She said.

Professors Tasset and Sprout both stood, along with a small handful of students, including Draco. The other students who stood were merely pinpointed motivators for the movement and the professors were obviously appointed by the staff to help with the transition of the worlds. Applause sounded for a few moments, and then died off as Dumbledore resumed his speech.

"Please remember all the same rules, do not enter the forbidden forest or wander at night. I would like to recognize our new Head Boy and Girl, Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger."

Hermione took her turn to stand and accept applause. She smiled as she stood and retook her seat. Draco caught her eye and gave her a small congratulatory smile.

"We would also like to welcome," he continued, "Our newest DADA teacher, Ms. Brianna Tasset. She has extensively studied the history of the Dark Arts and has proven herself an extremely capable teacher as an Auror instructor for the past 5 years." The students applauded as she stood.

"I wonder how long this one will last," Ron murmured, "and if she's evil like the past couple have been."

"Please keep in mind," Dumbledore said, "We will offer seminars when necessary about the Return to Eden campaign, as well as keep you all informed about the advancement of the muggle wars and the extensive means taken to ensure the safety of every member of this school. Everyone is safe and welcome in this school. Thank you."

Applause erupted for the headmaster, soon followed by cheers as food appeared on the tables. Hermione dove into her first Hogwart's meal of the school year.

"So, Hermione, tell us about your summer, what happened to you out there in the muggle world?" Ron asked. Hermione stared at him for a few seconds then looked down at her plate.

"It was um… ah…" she said softly. She didn't want to talk about it to anyone else just yet; Draco was the only one aware of her family's death and her current situation regarding Dolohov.

"She doesn't want to talk about it Ron," Harry said.

"Oh, sorry. Just tell us when you're ready," Ron said, obviously embarrassed.

Hermione shook her head.

They both instead decided to tell her about their own summers. Harry had luckily been placed with Ron's family the entire time since the Dursley's evacuated and "forgot" to wake him up the first week he was back.

Ron and Harry told Hermione how the summer had been busy; they had frequented the Order of the Phoenix safe houses who were now working to ensure there was no rising up after the transition. Hermione was desperate to tell them about the plot she knew about, but didn't because she was afraid Draco would be convicted once revealed. Besides, they didn't need to know anything about Draco's personal life. She was content to sit back and listen to their somewhat easy and uneventful summers in comparison to her own. The thing she wanted most was just to curl up in her four-poster bed and have no fear of the ceiling collapsing on top of her in the middle of the night.

The biggest perk to being Head Girl was that she received her own private room in the Gryffindor tower. At the end of the girls' hall was a door that always remained locked unless the year's Head Girl was from Gryffindor. That year, Hermione was given the key. The quarters were spectacular compared to the other rooms, yet quite plain when compared to her accommodations at Malfoy Manor.

She had a king sized four-poster bed with the same crimson curtains. She had her own fireplace, which was not in use since it was early fall. She had several bookshelves and a walk in closet. The thing she was most thankful for… a private bathroom. She also had access to the Prefect Bath and other areas. She laughed for a while when she saw the large painting on her wall. It was similar to the Marauder's Map, but less detailed. It showed red, green, blue, and yellow dots for the students wandering the halls and grounds. It also showed black dots for the teachers so she could find them if necessary. She wondered why they had never been caught in their past night outings if the Head Boy/Girl would have been able to find them, but assumed they must have been small potatoes and not worth the effort to the past Heads.

All her things had already been arranged for her so she changed into her nightclothes. She went out onto her private balcony and took in the view. She could see out into the Forbidden Forest and saw a few lights twinkling in the distance from Hogsmeade. Few were on though, because it was quite late. She had been briefed by McGonagall after dinner and had talked with some of the other seventh years before venturing to her tower.

She pulled out a quill and some parchment, she knew what she wanted to do. She lay on her bed for over an hour writing the letter. It wasn't lengthy, but she wanted to make sure each word was the perfect way to describe her current thoughts. She wrote how glad she was that she had been saved, given a home, and helped to re-establish her life. She told how happy she was to finally be back at Hogwarts and how hopeful she was for the coming year and that she had a new relationship to explore. She thanked Draco for everything, and told him that she truly did like him for who he was now and wanted things to remain the same as they had been in the manor. Lastly, she confessed how scared she was of the campaign and of diving into a relationship at the moment, but she cared for him and wanted to pursue their romantic relationship further, just at a slow, trusting pace.

She signed the letter and sealed it. She placed it in her book bag with her things for class tomorrow, eager to give it to him.

Now, she was worn down and ready for sleep. She crawled into bed and lay down, hoping for good dreams.

The next morning, Hermione joined her friends at breakfast. It was still early in the year, so Ron and Harry had enough energy to drag themselves out of bed before classes at nine. After comparing their classes, Hermione saw that they had few classes together. All of her classes were the most advanced level. All three of them had Advanced NEWT Defense Against the Dark Arts together and Hermione and Harry had Advanced NEWT Charms together. Hermione glanced across the Hall and saw Draco contemplating his schedule amidst a plate of French toast and couldn't help but hope they had classes together.

"Well it looks like I won't be in class with you guys until Wednesday," said Ron sadly. They all had DADA on Wednesday and Harry and Ron had Semi-advanced NEWT Herbology together on Friday as well. Ron stood to go his NEWT Transfiguration class with Harry following because his Potions class was a long walk. Hermione gathered her books and glanced over to the Slytherin table, but Draco had already left. Perhaps he had a long walk to potions of Care of Magical Creatures. She sighed and left the Great Hall on her way to Advanced NEWT Herbology. Once she reached the greenhouses she had to wind her way to the farthest one in the back of the gardens. The door was locked and she had to state a password written on her schedule in order to get in. Many of the highest-level classes were this way because they worked with dangerous materials. Upon entering the green house, she saw she was one of the last ones to arrive. Neville waved at her, but apologized that he hadn't known to save her a seat and had given it to a Hufflepuff.

"True friend," she heard someone snicker. She glanced over and saw Draco sitting by a window on the far left, "You can sit with me if you'd like." He said. Neville scowled a little at having his dedication to his housemate insulted.

"No worries Neville, it's not your fault," she said with a smile. She took the seat next to Draco and began organizing her things.

"That was rude," she said softly. Draco just shrugged and looked out the window. "I never knew you were so interested in plants Draco," she joked.

"It was either this or Advanced NEWT History of Magic and that didn't sound particularly interesting," he said.

"How many OWL's did you get?" Hermione asked, trying not to sound too obvious.

"Nine O's," he said bluntly, "With two E's in Divination and Care of Magical Creatures."

"Impressive," Hermione said. Draco didn't ask her her scores, he assumed they were all O's. "I hope you had a good oh!" Hermione exclaimed. Draco had placed his hand on hers that was resting on the table. She quickly pulled it away and pulled her hair behind her ears. Draco sighed and gave her a small glare. "I just um… well," Hermione stuttered.

"GOOD MORNING CLASS!" Professor Sprout exclaimed as she entered the greenhouse. Hermione quickly faced the front of the room happy to have an excuse to look away. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw Draco reach into the collar of his robes to touch his pendant. Hermione felt that he was extremely angry and upset, but ignored it.

Professor Sprout then explained to all of them the importance of Herbology and how excited she was to have all 10 of them in her class. She gave them all a syllabus and a list of materials they would need for the next few months. She then answered a few questions students had about the plants they'd work with and extra credit and homework.

"Any more questions?" she asked.

"Professor…" a girl in the back asked, "You are one of the appointed heads for Hogwart's and the CLAW group, can you give us any information?"

Professor Sprout erm and ummed for a minute, glancing at Draco a few times, who quickly averted her eyes.

"No worries child," Sprout said, "Everyone here is safe and all measures of the campaign will be explained before being implemented. But if you have any personal questions or fears, please come talk to me in private."

The girl nodded nervously.

"No more questions?" Sprout asked, "Well, we're almost out of time anyway, I'll see you all on Wednesday." Professor Sprout exited followed by a few students eager to get onto their next lessons. Hermione took a minute to pack up her things, feeling Draco's eyes boring into her scull.

"Can I help you?" she asked him as she stood to go.

"Just disappointed that you'd lead me on," he snapped, "Us kissing and now you pretending it didn't happen."

"Who's pretending?" Hermione asked defensively, "I haven't denied anything to anyone. Besides, I don't see you telling all your friends about our current status."

"What status is that?" Draco asked, "And for your information, I told Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy to leave you alone and be civil to you because you are under my protection."

"YOUR PROTECTION!" Hermione screeched, "Since when do I need your protection?"

"Maybe since I found you dying underneath your own home," he said sharply. Hermione stared at him in shock.

"I'm a person, not a pet Draco. I don't need your protection or anything else otherwise. I can take care of myself here at Hogwarts. I have denied nothing about us. But I'm not ready to go skipping through the corridors with you and having people stare at the Mudblood and the CLAW saint, savior of us all." Hermione said, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

Draco stared at her for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"Fine," he said, "I understand. I embarrass you."

"Draco…" Hermione said. He shook his head and turned to leave. She grabbed his shoulder and shoved the letter into his hand.

"That's for you, I guess this is as special a time as any," she said flatly. He glanced at the letter and tucked it into a pocket in his robes. He placed his hand on her shoulder and rested his forehead on hers.

"We'll figure this out," he said softly and ran his other hand down her hair. He gave her a peck on the cheek and left.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her forehead, alone now. She adjusted her belongings and prepared to leave. She was glad they hadn't ended things yelling and storming out. Draco was right. They would figure everything out. She turned and left the greenhouse.

She exited out into the midmorning sunshine, heading back towards the castle. She had to hurry or else she'd be late for Charms with Harry. She hadn't even asked Draco what his next class was. She stopped when she overheard voices around the corner.

"You see professor, I don't know what to do or tell them. There's no way on earth I'd ever abandon my family, but I don't want to die. I don't want them to die either. There's got to be something that can be done. I guess CLAW has overlooked families like mine," Hermione heard a girl saying.

"I understand completely Melinda. I will write a letter tonight to the CLAW council and will mention the issue to the Headmaster. We will get this whole thing sorted out and all the other muggle borns like you will be safe ok?" Hermione heard Professor Sprout saying.

Hermione realized she was eavesdropping so she continued on, passing right by the girl from the back of the room and Professor Sprout.

"Hermione!" Professor Sprout exclaimed as Hermione walked away. She stopped with pain on her face, she was going to get docked points for listening, the Head Girl!

"Yes professor?" Hermione asked as she turned.

"Could you walk with Ms. Taxby back to the castle?" Sprout asked. Hermione nodded gladly. Melinda smiled and Hermione and joined her. They turned together and began heading up to the castle.

"Is uh.. is everything alright?" Hermione asked Melinda.

Melinda nodded. "I sure hope so," she said softly, "CLAW has completely neglected muggle borns and our families. They tell me I'm going to be saved and sent to "Eden" but don't say anything about where my family is going. I'm not leaving them behind. They don't deserve to die either. They didn't start this war." 

Hermione met eyes with her and nodded.

"You're muggle born aren't you? You know where I'm coming from!" Melinda said with a grin. "It's nice to know someone feels the same dilemma as I do. What does your family think about Return to Eden? Would they come if they were allowed?"

Hermione stared at her for a second and continued to walk.

"Well?" Melinda pressed.

"I uh.. I'm from Bristol," Hermione said.

"Oh! Bristol's completely gone isn't it? Good thing you got evacuated in time. Like I said, this war isn't our fault and it's not our family's faults either. I'm sure they'll find some way to allow all the muggle born families to come along, there wouldn't be that many. Where were you evacuated too?" Melinda babbled.

"We weren't evacuated. My family is gone," Hermione said as she wiped a tear on her cloak.

Melinda gasped and shut her mouth. They walked for a few minutes back into the castle. When they reached the entrance hall where Melinda was heading to potions Melinda hugged Hermione.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea," Melinda stammered. Melinda wiped tears from her eyes. "It could have been my family you know? It could have been anyone; anyone who didn't deserve it. And your family definitely didn't deserve it. You must be ready to get as far away from this war as possible, as far as another plane," Melinda said sadly, "I really can't tell you how sorry I am. Sometimes I just need to shut up you know?" She said. She turned and headed down the steps to the dungeon for potions. Hermione continued to the Grand Staircase for Charms.


End file.
